


Omniscient

by itsbeen20years



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Canon Compliant, Childhood Trauma, Coma, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Healing, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Slice of Life, Teenagers, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:55:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 69,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21698104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsbeen20years/pseuds/itsbeen20years
Summary: Set during G Revolution; Kai joins Neo Borg to finally beat Takao - he didn't plan to fall for Yuriy.Edit: I put the warnings in the tags; all the warnings refer to the canon of Beyblade s1 and s3 (Abbey, Volkov, BEGA). This story deals with how the characters live with these things, but it has plenty of sweet stuff and fluff as well.
Relationships: Hiwatari Kai/Yuri Ivanov | Tala Valkov
Comments: 24
Kudos: 66





	1. Prologue: Bakuten

**Author's Note:**

> So I started translating my current fic, which by now has 9 chapters. It was first published on animexx. 
> 
> A huge THANK YOU to my beta @tshjortile who knows more about tenses than I do. Please note that we both aren’t native speakers.

**Prologue: Bakuten**

Kai wasn't used to early morning workouts anymore. Ever since the BBA center had started to get crowded with Bladers as soon as it opened, he had started training in the evening. However, now that he was part of the BBA Revolution, he had to adjust to Hitoshi Kinomiya's schedule as well as keeping up with his own training. Apparently their new coach was adamant about keeping them busy for most of the day, so Kai had no other option but to switch to morning sessions again.  
God, he hated it. The coffee didn't help either; he still was sleepy as he let himself into the building. He was the first to arrive, not even the person that usually sat at the help desk was there yet. The the lights flickered on as he moved. Slowly he made his way to the staircase in the back of the building, which led up to some exclusive rooms they always used for their private training sessions. The bowls in there, however, were way too small so they hardly ever really used them.  
As he was about to climb the stairs, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the display and was mildly surprised:  
_So you're seriously telling me you rather go with Kinomiya than against him?_  
Yuriy really must be desperate. It was the second time he asked him directly about joining his team Neo Borg, and the third in total. At first he made an official request to the BBA, but he wasn't the only one. After Rei and Max left, everybody and their mom seemed to think Kai would be available, too. Daitenji had shown him several letters, one of them from no other than Ralf Jürgens of the Euro team himself. And Yuriy's, of course. He didn't answer any of them, didn't know what to make of this. Instead he did the most untypical thing and stayed with what was left of the Bladebreakers.  
Yuriy apparently refused to take no for an answer. Well, he was a former world champion and the leader of the Russian team after all - and patient as hell. Kai didn't know him that well, at least not anymore, but he was sure: if the redhead really wanted him for his team so badly he would chase him like the wolf did with the rabbit in the stupid Russian cartoon.  
They hadn’t seen each other in over a year. After Volkov was put in jail, he and the former Borg Bladers all were occupied with endless therapy sessions. For a while he thought they somehow bonded over this. Yuriy seemed fine. They could talk without killing each other and apparently they had been friends when they were kids. Kai remembered part of that, but Yuriy never had bothered to fill him in on all the details. However, they had stayed in contact since their first World Championships, even though their e-mail exchanges never lasted long.  
Unlike Yuriy, Boris hated his guts. Admittedly, it was kind of mutual. He couldn’t even say when it started or why. Maybe it had something to do with what happened when they were kids and Kai just had forgotten about it. Maybe Boris felt jealous because Yuriy was his best friend. Maybe it was because of what he did to Rei - Kai could forgive that but not forget.  
Sergej never seemed to be interested in him at all. At first this had made him mad, because he had lost their battle, and being utterly ignored by someone who beat him so badly was really hurting his pride. But then he realised it was no use. And now he just was thankful that Sergeij apparently didn’t care about him; Boris’ hate towards him was enough. Same goes for Ivan, who seemed nice enough, but you never knew what was going on in his twisted little brain.  
So yeah, they all shared the same fucked up childhood within the Abbey. Kai knew there still were a lot of white spots on the map of his memories, and he wasn’t too eager to fill them in just yet.  
For once, he didn’t know what to do. Actually he had been improvising for quite some time now. There had been a moment when he had not wanted to participate in the tournament after all. But Shippu-no-Jin had turned up and pushed all the right buttons - which means he made Kai angry. Kai hated it when somebody thought they had him all figured out. So he dragged himself to the Japanese preliminaries just to almost get his butt kicked by that monkey boy Daichi. He still wasn’t sure if it were his instincts or Suzaku that made him win the fight that day. Whatever it was, now he was here, was a part of Kinomiya’s team, when in reality he only ever wanted to beat him, just like Max and Rei. So why didn’t he leave? It wasn’t like he had never done that before.  
The truth was - there had been no team that he deemed strong enough. And a strong team he needed if he wanted to go against Kinomiya. Who knew how seriously the Russians took their training after the collapse of the Abbey? Apart from blading, they had their plates full, so they probably wouldn’t stand a chance against the other teams, former world champions or not.  
His thumb hovered over the phone while he was still thinking about a response. However, before he could type in something, the door in front of him opened and he found himself face to face with his new coach. Hitoshi Kinomiya looked surprised. “Kai! How did you get in?”  
He put his phone back in his pocket. “I have a key card.”  
“But they only give these to the team managers.”  
“If you remember, I used to be the Bladebreakers’ team captain.”  
Ever since he broke the masquerade as Shippu-no-Jin, Kai disliked the older Kinomiya. He was pretty sure that sentiment was mutual, even though Hitoshi acted stupidly nice around him. Both brothers always wanted to be on good terms with everybody. But contrary to Takao, Hitoshi was always scheming, always plotting a way to get the most out of his encounters. They could’ve been on common grounds but Kai had no respect for him whatsoever. He blamed Hitoshi for that.  
“You’re early.” The coach followed him into the room, where Kai strolled over to the vending machine that sat in the corner and got himself another coffee.  
“You too.”  
“I wanted to check all the training schedules again before we start. But now that you’re here - how about we work on your attack pattern together?”  
“I have my own schedule”, Kai said matter-of-factly and took a sip from his can. He felt his phone vibrating again - what time was it in Russia anyway? It should be midnight in Moscow.  
Hitoshi watched him as he was pulling out his phone, arms crossed.  
_Stop playing around, Kai. My offer still stands, but not for long._  
He cocked a brow and smirked. _Shouldn’t you be sleeping?_ , he responded.  
“I think we should train as a team.” Hitoshi didn’t seem to like being ignored like that. “And don’t you think you could learn something from me, too?”  
“Hmmm.” Kai hadn’t been listening. If Hitoshi thought he could just show up, mess with him before the preliminaries and act all high and mighty around him now, he was wrong. He didn’t know anything about Kai.  
The phone in his hand lit up again.  
_Just watch the Russian preliminaries and make your decision._  
“Oh, would you please put that thing away?!”, Hitoshi snapped.  
Finally Kai looked at him. A smug grin appeared on his face as he put the phone on one of the shelves next to him. “And now… coach?”, he asked sarcastically, leaning against the shelf and crossing his arms. The older Kinomiya apparently wasn’t used to resistance; Kai wasn’t used to listen to anyone, ever. Time to see how far he could take this.  
Hitoshi nodded towards the bowl in the back of the room. “Well then. Show me your moves. You don’t mind me watching you train, do you?” The way he said that left no doubt as to what he was thinking of Kai.  
He pushed himself off the shelf and walked over to his coach. Even though there was enough room he came really close, never once moved his eyes away from Hitoshi, let his gaze wander across his body instead. He was making the other nervous, who couldn’t hide his confusion. His mouth opened and Kai raised his brows questioningly, readying himself for more yelling.  
Then the door behind them opened.  
Kyoujyu seemed surprised to see them. “Oh, good morning! I thought I’d come in early to have a look at some data before we start…” He trailed off, hand still on the doorknob. Kai took a step back from Hitoshi, who relaxed visibly. The smile he sent towards Kyoujyu was still a bit stiff. 

Even though everybody else started early that day, Kinomiya and Daichi were one hour too late. Hitoshi was not amused, to say the least. Kai, who was sitting on a chair making some adjustments on his Dranzer, barely could hide his smirk. It seemed that their new coach still had to learn some lessons about how to manage this team. If Kai had been in charge of training, nobody would have dared showing up late.  
While both Kinomiyas were bickering, the TV programme on the big flat screen behind them switched from advertisements back to broadcasting the preliminaries around the world. Kai immediately recognized the Moscow stadium, even though some renovations had taken place since the first championships. He watched, careful not to show too much interest.  
There was a white Beyblade in the bowl that was swiftly moving back and forth. Like his Dranzer, Wolborg was an endurance type with remarkable attack power, and one could clearly see that Yuriy hat improved quite a bit. His opponent was Sergeij, as Kai noticed when a second, blue blade came to view. He didn't stand a chance. Wolborg made a quick move and sent Seaborg flying.  
The screen showed Sergeij's face. He didn't look disappointed, rather satisfied and content with himself. Then the camera turned to Yuriy. Kai was mildly surprised how much he had changed, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was exactly. The same red hair. The same ridiculously blue eyes. The same goddamn smirk in the corners of his mouth, like he knew more than everybody around him and kept it secret on purpose.  
The picture changed again, now there were some blinking stats that showed Yuriy had just won the B block while Boris already got first in the A block. They would be partners. Sergeij also joined the team, but because Boris totally shattered his opponent there was no fourth blader. Yet.  
Kai turned away and looked at Dranzer in his hand. So Yuriy was strong after all; that confidence had to be justified by something. They surely would get along somehow, if he could keep Boris at arm’s length, and it would be a perfect opportunity to finally see if he was better than Kinomiya. Of course Yuriy knew, too, that this was what Kai really wanted. It was an open secret, as the rivalry between Kai and Kinomiya was legendary by now. Nobody had dared to make use of this as obviously as the redhead.  
“Alright, let’s start training!” Kinomiya grabbed Daichi by the arm and dragged him along to the bowls. “Hey Kai! Quit moping, come on!”  
He rolled his eyes and stood up to go over to his corner where he let Dranzer slalom around some plastic cones. He could do this blindfolded, so he let his mind wander for a bit.  
Why was he so considerate all of a sudden? He never really cared what the other Bladebreakers thought of him - though he hadn’t been in a “Kai is leaving the team again”-situation for a while. Maybe he had grown soft. But then the team didn’t even exist anymore! Max and Rei made their decisions and left before it was too late. His own timing, however, was bad as usual. He hadn’t even wanted to participate in the first place. But then Jin happened and his pride forced him to register for the preliminaries. He was a blader after all, and moreover, he was one of the best in the world. Back then it didn’t seem to matter that much if he was with or against Kinomiya. They had been in the same team for years now.  
It seemed like a thoughtful decision and would have played out well, if he hadn’t had to battle Daichi beforehand. Shortly before their match, he overheard him and the others. Daichi had been furious when he realized he wouldn’t get the chance to fight Kinomiya, even if he’d win. He talked something about this whole tournament not being worth the hassle if there was no chance he could battle the world champion. Somehow these words stuck with Kai. He actually wanted to back out in the last second. So he tried to let Daichi beat him, and that was seriously the dumbest plan he ever came up with.  
Dranzer jumped up to his hand and Kinomiya, who apparently had been watching him the entire time, cheered loudly. Kai looked up and his eyes met Hitoshi’s. The look on his face told it all: he knew something was up with Kai. Of course he had seen the requests from the other teams, too, since him and Daitenji were somewhat best friends. Kai felt anger rising within him. Did Hitoshi really think he would give in that easily, after all he had done as Shippu-no Jin?  
He turned around to look out of the window to hide his anger from the others. There was Bakuten, the warm evening sun changing the city’s colors. Not too far away there was the big stadium where all the official beyblade tournaments took place. Where he battled Kinomiya and had lost to him for the first time. Apart from that, he didn’t feel at home here. He rather spent his free time in Tokyo. He didn’t even feel obliged to do something for his hometown, nevertheless the local beyblade team.  
So what should he do? Stay with the ones he considered his friends and reject his maybe last chance to beat Kinomiya? Join the Russians, even though there still were secrets hidden in their shared past that he didn’t really want to uncover?

In the evening he went up to the lookout point that was on a hill above the city. He sat down on a bench and lit a cigarette. During daytime the area was buzzing with tourists, but as soon as it went dark nobody came up here, so he felt safe enough not to be caught. He was always careful, so his missteps never became public.  
It got colder. He moved his shoulders; his muscles were a bit sore after training today. Then he took his phone and looked at the display. There were two more messages, but they were from a person he didn’t want to talk to right now.  
Kai spent a few seconds just smoking and looking at his phone. Then he sighed and dialed a number. This call was going to be expensive.  
“Slushayu vas.” There was music in the background and Kai was surprised that he recognized the song. David Bowie.  
“Eto ya”, he said and leaned back. The other one laughed, then the music was turned down.  
“And there I thought you made a deal with Kinomiya that the two of you would wrestle for the title after the tournament.”  
He knew his voice, but his tone had changed over the last year. Suddenly he remembered how as children they always tried to speak low, just to appear older. Now nature had taken care of that.  
Kai let his cigarette burn out and looked up into the sky. “But that wouldn’t be the same as really beating him, right?”  
“I knew you would come to your senses”, Yuriy said. “So you’re in?”  
“Yes”, Kai repeated. 

Slushayu vas - “I hear you” / “I am listening to you” (also: How can I help you?), used when picking up the phone  
Eto ya - “It’s me”


	2. Irkutsk

It was strange, seeing Yuriy again. Over the last years he had grown quite a bit, and now he was much taller than Kai, who wasn't used to looking up to others like this. It was a bit intimidating. Yuriy’s shoulders were noticeably visible beneath the thin fabric of his jacket, broad enough to not make him look too skinny, even though he always had been leaner than the rest of them. Now Kai realized what had startled him back when he watched the Russian preliminaries: No childish softness was left in Yuriy’s face, and he looked... European, or at least that was the impression Kai had.  
They stood next to each other on the reeling of the ferry that took them across the sea to Russia. From Vladivostok they would take a plane to Irkutsk. Apparently Yuriy had found a new place to train for the tournament, and he didn't seem to care at all that it was located in the middle of Siberia. Of course he didn't. They shared a cigarette, and Kai secretly glanced at Yuriy; he couldn’t help himself but take in those sharp features once more. None of them bothered to start a conversation, which felt strange to Kai. Normally it was just him that remained silent.  
Finally, he spoke up to get the other’s attention. "So… Why did you ask me?" The Russian words had a strange ring in his ears. He wasn’t used to it, anymore; even in school they mostly spoke English.  
Yuriy turned to face him, straightened up and was again taller than him. What a sight. "That's what Boris asked me, too. He doesn't think you’d fit the team."  
"Maybe you should've listened to him."  
Yuriy grinned, ironically but not wholly without joy. "I need a strong blader in my team. And I knew you wouldn't turn down the offer. That's why I pushed you, even though you already were with the BBA. And that's why you are here now with me instead of the BBA. Right, Kai?"  
Kai just scoffed, what was there to add? He wouldn’t get a better answer than this. He turned around to leave, but Yuriy called him back.  
"Is there something I need to know before we do this?"  
Kai stopped and looked at him. "What do you mean?"  
Yuriy came closer, watching him closely. "Are you still in touch with Cyrill Pavlovich?" Cyrill Pavlovitch Komarov was the therapist that had taken on the sisyphos task of taking care of all the former Abbey boys, or at least the ones who were willing to get help. Kai tilted his head. "I haven't been for six months now, but I can call him anytime, he said. No medication, if that's your next question. How about you?"  
"I was seeing him once a month,” Yuriy said. "But it should be fine to take a break during the tournament. I've his number, too."  
"Alright. Go on."  
"Are you healthy? Any diseases?"  
"Apart from childhood trauma? No."  
"Any injuries I should be aware of?"  
"No."  
"Current heartbreak? Girlfriend?"  
"What?" Kai thought Yuriy was joking but he seemed serious about that question. His face didn't move and Kai found himself unable to look him in the eyes. "I don't have a girlfriend,” he mumbled and immediately regretted the tone in his voice.  
Yuriy's eyebrows went up. "A boyfriend then?"  
"... No. Not anymore." And thus, the secret was out. Kai glanced up to the redhead, but Yuriy wasn't fazed at all. He just shrugged it off. "Good. Thank you for being honest."  
Kai nodded. "Well... Is there something I need to know?" He meant it mockingly, but all of a sudden Yuriy looked caught. That only lasted for a glimpse, he was back to his normal self quickly. "No,” he said, "Not at all."

Their new training facility stood on the shores of the Angara river. It was - ironically enough - a former monastery that had been serving several other purposes during Soviet times.  
The snow was piling up to the windowsills since the last snowstorm of that winter had raged all through the night. The ice on lake Baikal some 70 kilometres away was still thick, but it wasn’t possible for the heavy trucks to cross it anymore.  
Boris, Sergeij, and Ivan would arrive soon enough, and Yuriy was occupied with a small quarrel he started with the owner of the building about the disastrous conditions of their gym. Kai spent most of his time in his room. He didn’t like going outside when everything was frozen, as he had developed a fear of icy surfaces. Everytime he heard the sound of cracking ice underneath his feet he couldn’t prevent himself from wincing. It was one of the last reminders of what happened two years back in that same spot.  
There was not much to look at inside the house. The furniture was made of chipboards and the floor was linoleum; the place had a distinctive smell that was at the same time very typical for places like this and very different from what he was used to.  
All the portraits of important people of the past were long gone, the only thing left of them were light rectangles on the otherwise darkened walls. With one exception: there was a slightly bleached out photograph of Yuri Gagarin in the dining room. Kai knew his face, he was all over Russia in the form of pictures, statues, murals. It was the usual motif with his toothy smile and small, dark eyes that sometimes were depicted blue. His face was framed by the heavy helmet that belonged to the space suits back then. Kai always had wondered if there had been an increase of boys named Yuri after the cosmonaut got famous, and if, maybe, his new leader was named after him. He probably would never find out.  
It was on the evening of the second or third day when Kai came into the dining room and found Yuriy sitting right beneath his namesake. He strolled over and sat across from him, the redhead only looked up when he stole one of his sandwiches. They didn’t look too appetizing, but he was hungry.  
“Boris and the others are coming tomorrow,” Yuriy started, “We will start training then.”  
Kai wasn’t too eager to meet the others, for obvious reasons: Boris surely hated him even more now that he took over his position as Yuriy’s partner. He very much doubted that Sergeij and Ivan would care about him, but they would be on Boris’ side in any fight. Kai would have to stay low and endure their shit if they wanted to act as a team. Bad thing was, that never had worked in the past.  
“I have my own schedule,” he said.  
Of course Yuriy reacted the same way as Hitoshi Kinomiya. He came up closer to him and looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t care. You’re going to do what I say, and you’re going to show up.”  
“Well, I don’t care, either. So that’s a no.”  
The mood between them changed. Kai had openly challenged Yuriy and the redhead couldn’t let him get away with this. But other than Hitoshi, he didn’t snap or yell at him, just continued to look at him coolly. Was he amused about Kai acting up like this?  
“Kai, you’re not in the position to question my decisions.”  
“And why would that be?”  
A smirk. “Because I am your team captain.”  
“More like the team’s mother hen.” He wouldn’t be intimidated by that piercing stare.  
“Don’t judge others by your own standards. At least my team still exists.”  
Kai rolled his eyes; Yuriy knew very well that it wasn’t his fault Rei and Max left the BBA team. “I don’t know about you, Ivanov, but I think your worn out team might need a little change. How about you let someone else take the lead?” In situations like this his mouth sometimes tended to be quicker than his brain. He didn’t really want to replace Yuriy as team captain. But his demeanor really irritated him, it was as if the redhead was constantly ridiculing him. Kai just wanted to wipe that expression off his face.  
“What, you wanna be team captain? Of all things?” Yuriy had the audacity to chuckle at his words.  
“Don’t you think the strongest blader should also be the leader?”  
“Your ego really is impressive. Do you think you can just walk in here like a little Tsarevich and order us around?”  
At that moment Kai noticed Suzaku’s presence. She was always with him, but only made herself known when she was triggered, mostly by his rage. There was a distinctive warmth in his stomach that felt like flickering flames.  
“Well, it was you who wanted me for the team so badly,” he finally said, “What about that now? I have other options, you know.”  
Actually, he wasn’t surprised to find himself stuck in a situation like this. Until now, they had been way too cautious, watching each other from a safe distance. Working together wasn’t supposed to be easy for them: They were too alike in terms of skills and pride. Last time they had been on the same team, they had clashed. It was only thanks to Volkov’s authority that it didn’t end badly.  
“Are you threatening me?” Yuriy asked mockingly. “Do you want to leave us again to run back to Kinomiya? As if he would take you back after all you did.”  
Of course he wouldn’t, that much Kai knew.  
“As I see it, you’re pretty much stuck with us here,” Yuriy continued, “Might as well work with us, can’t you?”  
“I could just quit the tournament.” It wasn’t like Kai never had pondered over this possibility before, but he didn’t think it through or even talked to anybody about this. To shut Yuriy up, however, it was as good an argument as anything else.  
Finally, Yuriy’s expression changed. For a brief moment he looked at him as if he wanted to punch him in the face. Then he raised one eyebrow. “Nah. You’re too proud.”  
“Why not?” Now it was Kai who smirked; he knew how to play this game. He also leaned forward, came uncomfortably close to Yuriy and lowered his voice. “You said it yourself: I could just lay back and wrestle Kinomiya for the title as soon as the tournament is over. The only one who really would be at a disadvantage would be you. You, Ivanov, need me, not the other way around.”  
“As if we couldn’t get around on our own. If you remember, we’ve been doing that for several years now. We’re perfectly capable.”  
“No you’re not.” Kai craned his neck slightly. “Everybody knows the team I chose automatically becomes a favorite for the title. But without me? You wouldn’t stand a chance against the others. You never took part in tournaments outside of Russia. Max, Rei, and Kinomiya did, they’ve been around the world. Whatever you guys come up with, they’ve already seen it. Which means, if you even want to come close to winning, you need me.  
So tell me, Ivanov: Who of us is the one that has more to lose?”  
Yuriy closed his eyes; it was obvious Kai’s words affected him somehow, but his posture gave nothing away. Finally, he scoffed. “I almost forgot what an asshole you are.”

“What a dump.”  
Boris’ bag met the floor with a loud thud. Ivan nodded at his words and even Sergeij wrinkled his nose.  
Boris looked around. “Ah well, it’ll work out, I guess. Hey, Yuriy!” Said redhead just emerged from one of the other rooms. Kai watched them from the stairhead, where they couldn’t see him. It was by sheer coincidence that he had been standing there just as the main door had opened.  
The Neo Borgs were genuinely happy to see their leader. Boris even pulled him into a short hug; Sergeij was smiling and Ivan forced Yuriy to fist bump, before he started complaining about their journey. Apparently their flight had been three hours delayed, and then it was nearly impossible to find transportation to the house because a lot of streets were still covered with snow. At that point, Sergeij interrupted and asked how everything had been so far. Yuriy just shrugged, and an uncomfortable silence arose between them.  
“What about Hiwatari now?” Ivan finally asked.  
Boris sighed. “Please tell me he said no. Probably thinks he’s too good for us, anyway.”  
Kai huffed and finally made himself known. “I’m right here, Kuznetsov!”  
“Well, fuck.”  
“The pleasure is all mine.” It was obvious nobody was happy to see him - not even Yuriy. Since their little quarrell the other day he was pretty offhand with Kai. Even now he didn’t look at him once. “Team meeting in two hours,” he said instead. “And that’s mandatory.” Then he just left. As soon as he was gone all eyes were briefly, but curiously, on Kai. So they already realized that Yuriy only acted so stiffly because of him.  
Ivan spoke up first: “So you’ve been here for what, four days? And you already made him mad? You really have a talent for pissing people off.”  
Sergeij let out a long, deep “Hmmmm” before he just picked up his bag to leave as well. Boris and Ivan did the same, but while the latter just followed Sergeij upstairs, Boris stopped next to Kai. “I know you’re not the brightest, Hiwatari - but already blowing it with Yuriy? That’s just dumb. You’re just making it difficult for yourself.”  
“Don’t you have things to do?” Kai really wanted to punch him in the face, but Boris wasn’t fazed at all. Instead, he pursed his lips and made an annoying kissing noise, before he moved away from him. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said mockingly. “Just let me tell you this: Don’t fuck with Yuriy. You can’t win.” 

Kai trained like he always did - alone. Got up early, left their quarters before anybody could notice, and went to his new favorite spot. It was cold, and winter didn’t want to leave this part of the world yet, which was odd, even for Siberia. There was no real permafrost here, and the temperatures should be well above zero degrees Celsius. Still, I didn’t seem like it would start thawing soon. Maybe their flight to Moscow would be cancelled and they were caught here while everybody else was at the tournament. It would be the kind of ironic twist that Kai thought would fit his life pretty well.  
Suzaku kept him warm, so he didn’t even need a sweater. The bond between them became stronger every year, and by now he felt her presence more or less continuously; she was within him, right in his midriff, like a small ball of heat that could expand quickly. After long, exhausting matches it always felt like she was burning his insides; he quickly became nauseous, sometimes he wasn’t able to eat for hours after the fight. Every blader suffered from their Bit Beasts’ presence, but everyone for themselves. Rei, for example, seemed to almost vibrate at times because Byakko caused electrostatic charge - everybody who touched him got shocked. Max always felt dizzy while Genbu messed up his blood pressure, and Kinomiya was completely rattled, as if a storm went right through his head.  
Now that Suzaku’s and his powers were on an equal level, Kai could ignore the snow around him and even cut out the constant cracking beneath his feet while he made his way to a giant rock that sat between their training facility and the mountainside. He imagined how it had been attached to the mountain for millions of years before it broke off and came down in an avalanche of sand, dust, and stone.  
It was the perfect target.  
Kai needed an unbreakable opponent. That was why he couldn’t train with the others. They all were strong and capable, and their blades could withstand most of Dranzer’s attacks - but it was too dangerous to unleash Suzaku’s full power on them. He needed a team for the Championships after all. And he needed to explore the limits of his own powers; only then he would be able to beat Kinomiya.  
He aimed Dranzer at the rock and sent the blade flying; it vanished between the swirling snowflakes, then there was a flash of light and the slightly delayed sound of crashing rocks. Dranzer bounced back and bore into the soil at his feet, spraying him with muddy snow.  
The rock resisted. 

It went on for days. Of course the others noticed his absence, and they weren’t happy about it. Boris made no secret of his hate towards Kai; he continuously tried to persuade Yuriy to kick him out of the team. Even Sergeij looked at him belligerently now, but that was probably caused by Boris going on his nerves. Ivan gave him the cold shoulder. And Yuriy did - nothing. Between him and Kai was nothing but dead-cold silence. He was sure his new leader knew exactly where he was going and why, but apparently he decided to let him do as he liked - at least until the day he was standing right behind the entrance door when Kai returned, obviously waiting for him.  
His arms were crossed and Kai, who was completely exhausted, tried his best to return his mustering look. His pride barred him from moving, even though his legs felt weak and Suzaku was burning his insides. He didn’t want Yuriy to see him like this.  
“How much longer are you going to play the lone wolf?” Yuriy asked. Kai didn’t answer; he tightened his grip on Dranzer, which was still warm from the frictional heat during training. Then he just tried to push past the redhead, and he almost thought that he would let him go, until Yuiy grabbed his wrist. His fingers were ice-cold. “Kai, you can’t just-” He stopped, maybe because he felt Suzaku’s fire. Kai took the opportunity, broke away from him and stormed off to his room. He felt Yuriy’s eyes on him but didn’t turn around, just walked faster instead.  
Only when the door fell shut behind him he allowed himself to collapse on the bed. With his face buried in the pillow he slowly came to notice how his body was aching. Over the last days the pain had risen: His skin was burning, not like fire, but from being constantly exposed to the cold wind. His limbs were shaky and he probably had more than a few bruises. Sluggishly, he turned around and raised an arm up to his face. His eyes slightly widened: His skin was strewn, not just with old scars but also new cuts, some of them deep enough to draw blood. The longer he stared at his wounds the more he realized how he must’ve looked to Yuriy. Was that why he backed off so quickly? 

Afterwards, everything went downhill. Kai became more and more touchy, he didn’t sleep well and not nearly enough. Yuriy wasn’t of much help, either, because now he started to seriously intervene in Kai's training. Whenever he tried to leave the house, as well as when he came back, the redhead was just there, watching him but never speaking. It was unnerving. Kai tried to ignore him, sometimes he returned his stare, annoyed, but it was no use. His patience wore thin. Soon enough he couldn’t help but feel pure anger rising within himself whenever he saw Yuriy.  
Then the dreams started. Maybe it was the building, the old monastery, that sometimes really brought back memories, even by day. In his dreams, Kai ran along endless corridors; he fought beybattle after beybattle against invisible opponents, always feeling anxious. The worst was the huge, dark shadow that appeared out of thin air and started chasing him. He wasn’t able to run away because his feet were frozen to the ground. That woke him up every time. At first he didn’t know where he was; it always took a few seconds for him to catch his breath and clear up his mind.  
Those pictures returned night after night, and he found himself unable to sleep in again. So he got up before sunrise most days, tried to come up with some new routines - and failed miserably.  
One particular morning, the situation escalated.  
“What?” Kai snapped. He was in the kitchen; he only wanted to eat something before leaving the house once again, but Yuriy was there, leaning on the counter, a cup of coffee placed next to him. Kai wasn’t prepared to see him at that time of the day, and he immediately felt anger towards him.  
Finally, Yuriy spoke. “This has to stop. Now.”  
And there he thought he was over that team captain behavior of his. “Like hell I will.”  
Slowly Yuriy came closer until he was standing right in front of him, looking down on him, but Kai was too enraged to be deterred by that. It had been more than a week since their last fight but now he was tired and Suzaku’s influence on him had grown.  
“I’m warning you, Kai…”  
“Ah, stop it, Ivanov!” he spat. “I already told you: Without me, your lousy team will go down, so just let me - “ He was interrupted by Yuriy’s fist. He hit him right in the face, somewhere beneath his right eye. Kai stumbled and almost fell; he gripped the counter and was able to hold himself upright, but only just. His first thought was to punch him right back but then he looked at Yuriy, who seemed frozen in time with his hand still raised. It startled him for some reason, so he just glared at him, turned around and left. 

He ended up in one of the rundown bathrooms at the end of the corridor. Somewhere a showerhead was dripping, the sound irritated him, but he tried to focus on his own face in the dull mirror in front of him. Carefully he touched the dark spot that spread out on his cheekbone, wincing as the pain sat in. That had to be gone until the tournament. There would be trouble if the press caught him like that.  
His hand fell down. The tournament. Why was he even thinking about that? He had fucked up. Everything - the training, the pain, the dreams - had been for nothing. Yuriy would never let him stay now. So that was it.  
Fuck.  
Kai clenched his teeth. And there he thought he had learned his lesson over the past years. It seemed like he had a true talent for making the same mistakes over and over again.  
“Kai?”  
It was Yuriy. Of course. For the first time in days Kai didn’t feel anger towards him; they were back on square one. And maybe, just maybe, he was also a little impressed. Never had he thought Yuriy would just plainly hit him in the face. He was Kai Hiwatari - nobody dared to touch him. But he would be damned if he’d let Yuriy know what he was thinking.  
“What do you want?” he asked without looking at him.  
Yuriy stood next to him and handed him an ice-pad. “Show me.” Kai acted as if he didn’t hear him but Yuriy grabbed his shoulder and slowly forced him to turn around. As he felt blue eyes on his face, Kai looked up to Yuriy, not knowing where else to look. Yuriy seemed somewhat surprised at the results of his doing, and somewhat amused.  
What did he want from him? It was over. Experiment Neo Borg had failed again.  
Kai’s head hurt; he’d probably need an aspirin later. Apart from that, he felt strangely calm. It was as if Yuriy’s fist had smashed something inside Kai. His stubbornness, maybe, or the stress the last few weeks had caused him.  
“I’m sorry,” Yuriy said. It didn’t sound convincing, but Kai was still surprised. He took the ice-pad and finally stepped back. Again their eyes met.  
“I would’ve done the same thing,” Kai said. “If I was team captain.” It wasn’t as hard for him to say these words as he had thought. “So… I’m gonna go pack my bag, I guess.” He stepped to the side to push past the other, but Yuriy just reached out and stopped him. Kai felt their bodies touching, the strength of Yuriy’s arm, and that was enough to make him stop in his tracks.  
“Where are you going?” Yuriy asked. “I have no intention of kicking you out.”  
Kai let out a sigh; he didn’t know if he was relieved or just tired. “Okay.”  
“But I am team captain and you will accept that.”  
“...okay.” He knew it was impossible to replace Yuriy as team captain, he had always known. And if he was completely honest with himself, he really was okay with that. There was only one thing he wanted, and if getting it meant he had to give in now, so be it.  
He stepped back at last to get away from Yuriy’s touch. But this time both of them averted their gaze.  
“Good,” Yuriy said. “Just one more thing. If you want to train on your own…”  
“Say when we train and I’ll be there,” Kai interrupted.


	3. New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation is so much easier since Tshortile showed me a professional online translator. I am so glad T.T

BBA Revolution vs. Baihuzu  
Neoborg vs. F-Sangre  
PPB All Starz vs. Barthez Soldiers

The flight to New York was long and the seats were too narrow, although the plane was already much bigger than the one that they had taken from Irkutsk to the capital. The overlay at the Moscow airport was just long enough to get something to eat and find the right gate, then they were up in the air again. Kai was sitting in a row of three, fortunately on one of the outside seats. Ironically, Sergeij had been given the seat in the middle, but neither Kai nor Boris were willing to switch. Yuriy sat on the other side of the aisle, the seat next to him was empty.  
Just before he had to turn off his cell phone, Kai received a text message from Max: “WTF, Kai, are you with Neo Borg now? Holy shit!” He raised an eyebrow while reading. How did the Americans get wind of it so quickly? He felt Sergeij's gaze on him and turned on the flight mode before he looked up at him expressionlessly. Sergeij turned his head, crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Kai also leaned back. The plane set itself in motion while the safety instructions were being given.  
They had been very careful to ensure that no one knew about Kai joining Neo Borg. It would be quite sufficient to inform the public the evening before the tournament started. The BBA and Daitenji knew about it, of course, because Yuriy had had to officially register the new team line-up. Maybe Judy Tate had heard something thanks to the BBA's connections to the PPB - that would at least explain Max's message. Well, it could be worse. Kai trusted that his former teammate would not tell anyone. Max never had any problems with cutting out the fact that they were not just friends but also competitors, and Kai appreciated that. He didn't really understand the connection between "team" and "friendship" and therefore the connection between "no team" and "enmity". For him, these were two different topics altogether. But even though Kinomiya never saw anyone as a real enemy, he quickly was personally offended when something happened to his precious team. Kai would prefer to avoid being in the same room as Kinomiya when he learned that he had switched to Neo Borg. He sighed.  
"Nervous?", mumbled Sergeij.  
"No," Kai replied.  
The flight lasted another ten hours. They had taken off in the evening, and even though they followed the sun, it was slowly but surely getting dark outside. At some point the lights were dimmed and the windows were shut. Kai leaned back and tried to find a comfortable position. For a moment he glanced over at Sergeij who, after initial difficulties, had become familiar with the on-board entertainment; now a film flickered across the small monitor in front of him. Sergeij's eyes were almost closed and Boris on his other side was already asleep - with his head on his chest. Kai stuffed the small pillow, which was part of the equipment here, into his neck and wrapped his legs in the blanket. Over time he had learned that a few hours of sleep on board made jet lag much more bearable. Nevertheless, he found it difficult to relax. The proximity of his fellow passengers, the bad, dry air and the altitude, which sometimes made his stomach turn a bit, tore at his nerves.  
He turned to the side as best as he could and felt a cool breeze from the AC. Then his eyes fell on Yuriy. In the dark, there wasn't much to see of his team captain, but his wide open eyes reflected the sparse light. His hand had closed around the armrest, not tensely, but it didn't look like he was comfortable, either. Kai watched him for quite a while, and since Yuriy didn't move, he finally stretched out his arm to touch him briefly. The other one startled and turned to him.  
"Nervous?" Kai asked and Yuriy pulled a face. "Just thinking about the next steps."  
"Hmm." Yuriy might have been deep in his thoughts, but for him to forget to pay attention to his surroundings was very unusual. Abbey boys were like cats, they always knew what was going on around them. Not for the first time, Kai sensed that something was bothering his team captain, something he didn't even talk about to Boris or Sergeij. At times, Yuriy seemed to digress, perhaps not even realizing it himself. The corners of his mouth then formed two deep wrinkles, his whole expression was almost wild, as if he was about to bare his teeth. One more reason why nobody dared to talk to him about it.  
Since Kai didn't speak, Yuriy turned away from him again and put his chin in his hand. Kai watched him furtively for a while, but the redhead didn't move. The plane rocked gently, and at some point his eyes fell shut. 

They got two hotel rooms. Kai, Boris, and Sergeij already went there for the check-in, while Yuriy took a cab from the airport to the stadium, where the first meeting of the team managers took place. Without him they were not able to find a reason to have a proper conversation, so most of the time there was silence between them. Kai, however, suspected that Boris and Sergeij also had the ability to communicate through meaningful looks. He did not want to know what silent comments they exchanged about him behind his back.  
At the reception desk they were asked which room layout they would prefer. Smiling, the employee laid out four key cards for them, but neither Boris nor Sergeij moved. Kai raised an eyebrow and turned to his teammates. Boris stared at the key cards as if he wanted to burn holes in them with his gaze and it took a while for Kai to understand why.  
"Now don't be ridiculous, Kuznetsov," he said and randomly grabbed a card before walking over to the elevators without waiting to see what the other two would do.  
The room was halfway up the building. The view out the window was of the buildings opposite, the room was almost completely filled with two beds. By New York standards it was very comfortable. Kai wondered, and not for the first time, where the BBA got the money to host this tournament. The organization didn't earn much from the bladers themselves, because they were just amateurs. The whole damn sport was amateur. It was a miracle that nobody had come up with the idea to sign and sponsor beybladers yet.  
He put his bag down in a corner, threw himself on one of the beds and waited. It felt good to lie down again after the long flight. His back relaxed and he felt himself sink deeper into the soft mattress. Maybe he had dozed off at that moment, because when the door opened it felt as if only a few seconds had passed. But it was Yuriy who was entering the room now, and he couldn't have made it here so quickly. Kai stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought you were sharing a room with Boris?”  
"What makes you think that? Boris talks in his sleep, I would never go into a room with him," Yuriy replied absent-mindedly. His attention was entirely focused on a pile of documents, which he now placed on the desk. "So much paperwork for a single tournament.” He sighed and flipped through the documents. "What is all this?"  
Kai got up and joined him to look over his shoulder. It was the usual forms that had to be filled out at international tournaments. Their itinerary alone required some preparation for the border crossings. Then there was information for the BBA and sometimes for the stadiums where their matches took place. Of course this was new for Yuriy. Team Neo Borg had never participated in a tournament that took place outside Russia.  
Kai pushed the redhead aside and sat down at the table. "Let me see." He sorted the documents into several smaller stacks. "These are only for the BBA," he explained, "But there is one form to fill out for each team member, that's why there are so many. These are travel documents, you have to get them stamped and signed by Daitenji's assistant, and then it's best to put them somewhere where they can't get lost. And as for these, I'll tell you a secret: You can leave them like that - they're for the media. If there's nothing on them, they're only allowed to interview us at the official press conferences. Super handy."  
"Super handy," Yuriy repeated. When Kai turned to him, he was surprised that he was looking at him and not at the documents. Tiredness was clearly visible in his leader's face, he probably hadn't slept during the flight after all. The expression with which he looked at him was difficult to describe, a mixture of resignation and mute gratitude for his help. The mere fact that Yuriy allowed himself to be read like this made Kai pause. He gave him a moment, but the other didn't seem to have the slightest desire (or strength) to sort out his facial expressions. "You should fill this out," Kai finally said awkwardly, and rose to let the other one sit at the desk. Thanks to the narrowness of the room, they were standing close enough that he noticed a loose thread on Yuri's collar.  
The redhead still did not move. But then he grinned crookedly and slid past Kai and onto the chair. "And there I thought you were just busy babysitting as team captain of the Bladebreakers."

As expected, Kinomiya's reaction to Kai switching teams was bad.  
Actually, Kai was surprised that he didn't make a scene right in the middle of the arena in front of the gathered crowd. He almost dared to hope to get out of there without being held up when he heard the steps. Then Kinomiya shouted his name, dragging the i, only to call him a traitor in the same breath. Kai did not even have the time to turn around.  
"My goodness," Yuriy murmured next to him, then his team captain raised his voice to stop Kinomiya. When Kai finally turned around, he was met by an unusual sight. His teammates had placed themselves in front of him. Sergeij had even grabbed Kinomiya by the shoulder so he couldn't get through to him. Boris and Yuriy stood next to each other and probably gave the world champion scornful looks that Kai could not see from his position. In this situation it became obvious how tall the three of them were. Kai didn't think of himself as small, he had always towered over everyone in the Bladebreakers, but the Neo Borg suddenly seemed like a wall. Kinomiya was tiny next to them, but didn't notice this disadvantage in his anger. He was honestly hurt, because he did not understand what was going on. However, the BBA Revolution had bigger problems at the moment - they would face Baihuzu, Rei's team, in just a few minutes. That was not a good start. And yet Kai's behavior seemed to throw Kinomiya off track more than a match against one of his biggest rivals.  
So he took pity and explained it to him. He made as few words as necessary, because he didn't feel like dealing with Kinomiya now - in a state of mind like the present one, the other one was not capable of rational thinking anyway. And instead of withdrawing, Kinomiya became even more unrestrained in his words. In the end, it was Yuriy who resolved the situation by simply turning away, rolling his eyes (which only Kai could see) and continuing walking towards the exit. They followed him, and luckily Kinomiya had enough decency to stay behind now.  
They watched the match in a room that had been assigned to them. Some of the other teams were sitting in the stands, but there was always so much going on in the stadium that you could hardly see what was happening in the bowl. Especially during Kinomiya's fights they didn't want to miss any detail.  
One could see that Kinomiya was still upset. It was quite impressive: the tournament was less than a day old and the champion already snapped. Daichi, with his exuberant energy, was no help at all. They rocked each other up.  
"What a pathetic bunch," said Boris, "Look what you’ve done, Kai.”  
Kai was silent. Yes, this tragedy in the stadium was probably partly his fault, but Kinomiya hadn't been himself since Rei and Max had left. He had only hoped that his rival would recover and use the forced solo run as an opportunity to make a little more effort. But things turned out differently: the BBA Revolution lost their first match.  
"And that's our world champion now," Yuriy said, and Kai growled in annoyance. On the screen, Kinomiya and Daichi started a new fight. But Rei’s face showed the disappointment Kai felt. This fight had been completely useless.  
Kai got up to leave the room.  
"Where are you going?", Boris asked.  
"None of your business," Kai rumbled. He had to vent his frustration.  
"Our match is about to begin."  
He didn't reply to that, because he couldn't guarantee that he would remain objective. Instead, he went outside and vaguely in the direction he thought the training rooms would be. But he didn't get very far, because someone followed him. It was Boris. "Hiwatari. Wait." The words did not sound as if the other wanted to start a fight. So Kai turned to him and crossed his arms. Boris came within inches of him, stood slightly bent over, towering him, and thus took up much more space than he actually had to. "Listen, Hiwatari," he whispered, "I will say this only once. I have no idea how you could end up on our team and if it had been up to me, I would have preferred to show up here with only three people rather than with you. But for some reason you're important to Yuriy. So my advice to you is, don't screw it up, all right?"  
"What do you want from me?"  
"You do what Yuriy brought you here for: You show up for your matches. You win them. You're done.”  
They eyed each other up silently for a while before Kai decided to give a decent answer instead of a ramble. "Yuriy knows my worth. And I intend to win that tournament. So I don't quite understand what your problem is, Kuznetsov."  
Boris raised his hand and put his index finger in front of his face. "Do not. Fuck. It. Up." he repeated.

"I have a meeting to go to," Yuriy said. It was late afternoon. After their match against F Sangre, they had returned to the hotel and Boris had taken Wolborg and Dranzer from them to check them for damage.  
"I'm coming with you. I have a thing, too," Kai said. His captain gave him a quick glance as he put away his magazine and got up from the bed. "Where are you going?"  
"I'm meeting Max," he said and Yuriy raised his shoulders approvingly. He knew he didn't have to inculcate him not to tell the American about their tactics. Probably Max's partner would rip his head off if he knew he was meeting Kai - but Kai would suffer the same fate if Boris found out about it.  
"I hope I don't have to fear for my life because of this," he said as they descended the stairs to the foyer side by side.  
"No," Yuriy replied, "What Boris doesn't know won't hurt him. And as for you going it alone - I'll stay out of it as long as I can be sure you won't mess up.”  
"I won't."  
"Hmm."  
Kai raised his eyebrows and looked at Yuriy. Their eyes met unexpectedly for him, but it seemed natural to him that they exchanged a conspiratorial grin. "Don't disgrace me in front of the bourgeoisie," Yuriy said, then quickened his pace and hurried across the lobby to a passage leading to the outbuilding. Kai only noticed that he was looking after him when Max suddenly stood in front of him. Normally he did not overlook other people like that.

"That was a pretty lousy start to the season," Max said as they sat in the hotel café. They had found a niche in one of the back corners and were protected from view by a plant. Max seemed depressed, even though he had a large sundae in front of him. They had won the fight against Barthez Soldiers, but his partner had managed to turn the entire stadium against them. That probably bothered him, because normally Max liked to talk about everything but blading.  
"Hm. That Rick guy seems a bit annoying,” Kai said. “Where does he come from?"  
"Mom discovered him," replied the blond and sighed. "The others are mad at me. They don't like Rick anyway, but when I won second place for the tag team, I took away all their chances to compete." Kai didn't know who Max was talking about at first, but he must’ve meant Michael, Eddie and Emily. Kai did not really care about them - just the same way he didn't care that Boris hated him because, among other things, he had taken away his place as Yuriy's partner. But Max was different, he only was able to perform at his best when the team was harmonious. Quarrels always hurt him a lot. Kai wanted to say something, but found that he didn't really know what. And then Max changed the subject himself.  
"But you tell me. What is that with Neo Borg?"  
Kai raised his shoulders. "They asked me. I accepted."  
"...after you had already won the preliminary rounds in Japan?"  
Sometimes it was scary how Max could see through people. Kai realized that he actually didn't need to say much, the other one already knew.  
"It was a bit more complicated than that," he replied, "But basically, yes."  
"Aw man, Kai," said the blond and licked his spoon briefly. "No wonder Takao was not himself at his match. Let me guess - he found out about your switch at exactly the same time it was going through the media, right?"  
Well, that wasn't Kai's fault though, it was Hitoshi's. Hitoshi had known who Kai was giving up the BBA for when he left. It was solely thanks to their coach’s decision that the BBA Revolution only got the news the day before.  
"I couldn't have competed here with Kinomiya," he murmured. Max nodded and put his chin in his hand. "I understand. To be honest, I firmly believed you would be the first to say goodbye. Then it was myself."  
"Oh, that doesn't mean I wasn't planning to. I just didn't have a backup team like you or Rei."  
Max glanced up at him, but didn't answer. Of course, everyone somehow associated him with Borg, just because of the Abbey and the tournament two years ago. But when the current World Cup was declared, he hadn't even known if there would be a Russian team at all.  
"Anyway, you have done a great job again," Max then said. "The PPB didn’t even know that Neo Borg would participate. You should have seen what happened when they won the preliminary rounds in Moscow. And now this - you and Yuriy? As a tag team? I swear to you, everyone is scared shitless right now, including me."  
"Good." he replied and Max laughed. Smiling, Kai drank his coffee and thought a bit self-righteously that he still knew how to cause a nice little scandal after all. Otherwise this tournament really would be too boring.  
"You get along well with Yuriy." That was a statement, not a question. Max made it sound like it was the most normal thing in the world. He didn't wait for Kai's response, but continued to spoon his ice cream immediately.  
"What makes you think that?" Kai replied.  
"Well, you don't usually show it when you like someone, but with him, it seems you do. Or at least you care. I don’t know. It’s just a first impression." Almost a quarter of the last pink striped ice cream scoop disappeared into Max's mouth. "He looks good, don't you think? Except maybe for that death glare you Neo Borgs always put on. Anyway, he looks healthier now than he did before. So if you want my humble opinion," the blond continued. "He would certainly be a better choice than ...You-Know-Who. And I’m not saying that just because he’s not as… old."  
Max knew everything, of course. With the Bladebreakers, Kai had not been able to keep his personal life for himself. They had simply spent far too much time together. But in the end it was good that way, it made things much less complicated.  
"What are you trying to tell me, Max?" Kai asked calmly and let the cookie float in his coffee. He couldn't see the grin on the other's face because he watched with concentration as the cookie soaked up and sank.  
"Nothing. I'm just stating the facts."  
"You’re not after every girl that you get along well with, either," Kai said and finally looked up again. He was a little surprised that the other one had actually almost completely finished his sundae in the few minutes of her conversation.  
"Yes," said Max, "I actually have a little crush on every girl. But back to you. Since You-Know-Who we know that you have a thing for guys who are taller than you, older than you, and are able to stand up to you. And you may not have noticed it, but during your match against Raul, your team leader couldn't take his eyes off you for a second.”  
"Max, what the-"  
"What I’m trying to say is, he's just your type," Max interrupted him cheerfully.  
"Oh. Is he, huh?" As he let his gaze wander, he noticed a few shadows through the glass door of the restaurant. "Hurry up a little, the reporters are already back." They had pounced on the American and the Russian teams like vultures, written permission or not. On Neo Borg, because Kai had switched to them, and on the PPB All Starz, because they had made themselves so unpopular. Actually, the press had been banned from the hotel, but somehow some paparazzi always managed to sneak in, and they had to be careful not to run into them.  
Max rolled his eyes. "Which one of us is going to disappear this time?"  
"Me." Kai finished his coffee and got up to spend a few minutes in the restroom until someone noticed the reporters and threw them out. One Blader alone was not even half as interesting as two. But if Kai and Max were sighted together, it would probably cause a little scandal at the moment.

In the morning the training area was empty. Behind the stadium there were extensive facilities, with tennis courts, a baseball throwing zone and a basketball court. Tartan tracks ran around the entire area, separated from each other by clean, white lines.  
Yuriy was running on the outermost track. His steps were long and regular, his running style almost relaxed. Only the dark stains on his shirt and the way some strands of his hair stuck to his forehead showed that what he was doing was actually exhausting. His gaze was directed forward, without any fixed point, and so he did his rounds. There was something hypnotic about his movements.  
Kai sat on one of the stands and watched him. Next to him stood a cup of coffee for himself and a bottle of water for his team captain. Yuriy had asked him to pick him up for their training so he wouldn't lose track of time. Kai had been waiting for quite a while now, but Yuriy ran as if there was nothing else in the world. His leader probably hadn't even noticed he was there.  
Kai hated endurance sports, which he hadn't felt was a disadvantage for him before. But when he saw Yuriy like that, he wished he had just a little more patience. The redhead seemed so content with just running. Such a simple movement. His arms were angled, close to the body, which showed no sign of exhaustion. His hair shone even in the distance, sometimes he pushed it out of his face with a self-forgetting gesture, just so it could fall down again, which he then ignored for a while.  
Eventually, when Kai already started to wonder if he had to pull him off the track, the rhythm of Yuriy's kick slowed down but remained steady. He had just come around the bend again and was running towards the podium, steadily reducing his speed until he finally stopped. He put his hands on his hips and bent forward. When he straightened up again, his cheeks were flushed. Kai rose and went down the stairs to hand him the bottle of water. While he sipped his coffee, his leader took large sips. Yuriy then wiped his forearm briefly across his forehead before taking a long look across the sports fields. "Well," he said without turning towards Kai, "F Sangre?"  
"That was easy," said Kai, "Almost too easy, wasn't it?"  
"In any case, they were not well prepared. Boris found out that they usually fight together. Probably that was the reason."  
Kai nodded. "They used the exact same technique. But I think Julia is a bit stronger, isn't she?"  
"Probably," Yuriy said and shrugged briefly. F Sangre had been interesting, but they were no longer important to them. If they didn't change their tactics radically and win a couple of matches, they wouldn't be likely to play each other again.  
"Anyway, your blazing gig was pretty impressive," his leader continued. "I thought it was a joke when Daitenji assured me yesterday that he had provided fire extinguishers for our matches.  
"Thanks. I was rather impressed with the nickname DJ gave us," Kai replied.  
"Red Comet? This is what our fans in Russia call us - Krasnaya Kometa. I think it's quite nice, actually."  
"But why...?" Kai did not have to finish the sentence, because at that moment he realized how his team must have come to this name. "Your attack," he said, "At the first World Cup."  
"The Holy Beast Weapon," confirmed the redhead, "That's what Volkov called it. Of course, no one knew that it was really a weapon. To most people it looked like a -"  
"Red comet," Kai finished. His team captain seemed to have no desire to elaborate further on the subject, as he turned around and walked away towards the hotel. He had to follow him. A few times he started to ask more questions, but he just didn't know how to phrase them, so he finally gave up.  
The sun slowly rose over the stadium, but was still covered by some haze. The cool light broke on the glass facades of the skyscrapers and on the shiny white roof of the hall. A light breeze ruffled Yuriy's hair, which was uncombed and still messy from the run. Since the path was only narrow, Kai walked a little behind him. His leader’s steps seemed to have become lighter, maybe because his muscles were now loosened, maybe it was something else.  
"You're in a good mood," Kai finally realized and Yuriy turned to him with a mocking grin. "Are you blaming me for this now?"  
"I've just never seen you like this before."  
"Maybe I'm just relieved you're doing your job."  
"You mean - winning matches?" Kai asked. "Did you think I’d perform badly on purpose or something? What good would that do?"  
"What do I know, Kai," Yuriy replied, "I have no idea what's going on in your head. But it's an open secret that you like bad surprises."  
"The mere fact that I have joined forces with you is a nasty surprise for everyone else. And enough for now. You can relax and enjoy the trip," Kai said.  
They had arrived at the hotel and stopped just before the entrance. Yuriy unscrewed the water bottle again to drink. "Do you know how hard it was to get all those damn visas," he asked suddenly. Kai swayed his head. He could imagine it. "There were really some moments when we thought we couldn't attend the championship because they wouldn't let us out," the redhead continued. "And God knows we behaved so well during last year. We won every stupid tournament that the BBA held in Russia. We went to therapy, got our degrees, and when we got drunk, it was in our own living room. No bad press, not even once. And still..." He sighed annoyed while Kai just listened. "Although we had help from the BBA, I probably ran to the damn embassy at least five times. Sometimes this paper was missing, sometimes that signature ... It dragged on for months. I had really prepared myself for the fact that we had to bribe someone. So yes" With these words Yuriy turned to him, "I intend to enjoy this trip! We finally got out of Russia, and that feels pretty damn good, you know.”  
Of course Kai could not put himself in his place. He had a Japanese passport. Nevertheless, he now realized that the documents the redhead had been confronted with on the first day must have caused a quiet horror in him. He remained silent, and Yuriy did not seem to expect any response. He looked down at the empty plastic bottle in his hand, which he squeezed rhythmically, making a crunching sound. "Kai," he said, and his face now took on a serious expression. For a brief moment it seemed as if this darkness was coming over him again, something Kai had noticed before. "We have to make it to the final. I don't give a damn who we compete against, but we will make it to the final round! Is that clear?" He raised his head and looked at Kai with a wild expression. And Kai stood up to that look. "Sure", he said slowly.  
"Oh, here you are!"  
The voice had come from the hotel entrance. There stood Boris, with his laptop under his arm. He gesticulated towards them. "I have analyzed the remaining data. Yuriy, I have to readjust Wolborg, there are a few movements I don't like at all. And Kai, your prima ballerina act in the bowl yesterday put quite a strain on Dranzer’s axis. If you keep this up you can throw away your blade base after the next round. And I am not your spare parts store, understand?!”


	4. Rome

Baihuzu vs. Barthez Soldiers  
BBA Revolution vs. Neo Borg  
PPB All Starz vs. F-Sangre

"It's hot," Boris noted. He tugged on his sweaty shirt and turned around. "Yuriy, it's hot!" Kai took the opportunity and kicked Falborg out of the stadium, whereupon Boris let out an angry yell. Kai’s face did not give anything away, but secretly he agreed with his team mate. Beneath his jacket, small streams of sweat ran down his back. He had tried to convince himself that his white scarf would protect him from the sun, but at the moment the fabric just felt heavy, both ends limply hanging down. And Suzaku’s presence didn't make it any better.   
Yuriy didn't seem to have heard Boris' complaint at all. He and Sergeij were still playing their match, and although Sergeij was also sweating, their team captain didn't seem to be affected in the slightest by the temperatures. He calmly prepared for his next attack and finally Wolborg beat Seaborg with an elegant swerve. "At last!" commented Boris. Yuriy looked first at Sergeij and then down at them, as they were standing before him, dishevelled and dusty from three hours of training. "Well. On with individual exercises," he said.   
Boris moaned. "Are you serious?"   
"There's no point in continuing training in this heat, if you ask me," Sergeij said tiredly. Yuriy seemed irritated. He continued looking at the other two, blinking very slowly. Boris and Sergeij were visibly uncomfortable, but neither of them backed down, which actually surprised Kai. Yuriy wasn't used to any resistance - Kai, on the contrary, was reminded of similar situations with the Bladebreakers. He watched the scene, waiting to see what the redhead would do.   
"Tell me why I shouldn't let you run three laps around the stadium right now," Yuriy finally said. While Sergei seemed desperate, but also ready to surrender to his fate, these words sparked aggression in Boris. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You and I both know Sergeij would never say anything, but look at him. What did you do with him? He is completely exhausted - we all are. You know we are tough, but this is madness! There's no shade anywhere and the water's been gone, too.” Rome was not well equipped with Beyblade training facilities, so they had to make do with a public square that was equipped with only a few arenas. The area was paved, so it was boiling hot.   
"Kai is still holding up well," Yuriy said. Immediately everyone turned around to face him. Boris stared at him, his face clearly saying that he would break something if Kai said something wrong now. On the other hand, Kai didn't see the need to show weakness in front of Boris, of all people. So he kept silent.  
Sergeij raised his hands devotedly. "Three rounds, yes? I’ll go." But when he took his first steps, he hardly managed to get his feet off the ground. It seemed impossible that he would fall into the running step within the next minutes. Boris watched him, then turned to Yuriy and gestured towards their team mate, raising his eyebrows. “Yura!” he said urgently.   
Yuriy looked at him and finally groaned in frustration. "Oh, all right then! We’ll continue tonight."   
Boris let out a relieved sigh. He turned on his heel and Sergeij followed him with shuffling steps. Kai was also tempted to go back. With a bit of luck, he could find a spare arena somewhere in an air-conditioned hall. And if he was really honest with himself, he wouldn't have said no to a little break either. Yuriy, however, looked as if he wanted to start a new round, whether he had an opponent or not. He put Wolborg back into the shooter and got ready. Kai raised an eyebrow.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"  
"Have you gone soft, Hiwatari?"  
“Hn.”   
Yuriy rolled his eyes and launched his blade. Kai could not help but be impressed by this doggedness. He had always had to drag the Bladebreakers to training, especially in weather conditions like these. And now he gave in to Yuriy. What was it that drove his leader so hard? Even the torturers of the abbey had realised at some point that it didn't do any good to train their best bladers to the breaking point before tournaments. So Yuriy should know better.   
Kai cleared his throat to get his leader’s attention. Reluctantly he looked at him.   
"If I may say something, as a former team captain - I don’t know what you think you’re doing and why, but Boris is right. You're going to faint if you keep this up. Or get a sunstroke. And if you do, you probably can’t compete for a day or so, so you’ll be useless."   
“Well, then enlighten me!” Yuriy said. “What does a former team captain of world champions do if it’s a little too hot to train?”   
Kai just crossed his arms. This was no rocket science, and Yuriy knew he made a mistake. But still, Kai couldn’t quite understand why his leader was so edgy today.   
After a few seconds of silently staring at each other, Yuriy raised his hand to catch Wolborg. “I’ll rephrase,” he said, “What do the mighty Bladebreakers do in their free time?”  
Kai shrugged. “You mean, when they don’t get themselves into some kind of mess as soon as I stop watching them? Sightseeing, probably.”   
“Sightseeing,” Yuriy said slowly. “Okay then. Congratulations, we’re going sightseeing.”   
“I’m sorry, what?”  
“Don’t look at me like that, it was your suggestion. And you’ve been here before, right?”  
Kai didn’t know how he got himself into that situation, but Yuriy wouldn’t back off. It seemed like this was his way of punishing him for questioning his leadership. Or was he trying to induce some very weird kind of bonding time? Either way, Yuriy got him.   
They went back to their hotel room to change. In the bathroom Kai took off his wet clothes to exchange them for a more casual outfit: Light jeans and a black shirt. That wasn't so much better in the heat, but he lacked alternatives. He looked in the mirror and briefly ran a hand through his hair. It had become long since he had left Japan.  
When he came back, Yuriy had also changed. He was now wearing jeans and a loose-fitting shirt, as well as a grey jacket, the sleeves of which he had just turned up to his elbows. At first Kai was confused why the other would need the jacket, then he finally realised why Yuriy was only very rarely dressed for summer temperatures. "Let me guess,” he said. “Wolborg?"   
Instead of answering, Yuriy held his hand out to him. Kai twisted his mouth in disbelief. He had assumed that Yuriy had a similar aversion to touching as he had. But he had noticed before that this seemed to have changed. The way Yuriy had stopped him in Irkutsk with his hand rather than with words was a huge difference to their first championship in Moscow. And this morning - when they had been standing next to each other at the beginning of their training session and Kai was tackling a course with Dranzer to warm up - Yuriy had grabbed his elbow and pushed it up a bit, just at the moment when Kai had wanted to launch his blade. Before Kai could even react, Dranzer was on its way and crossed the course in tighter curves than usual, making it much faster. So Kai had suppressed a nasty comment and just raised an eyebrow, whereupon he heard Yuriy's quiet, mocking laughter next to him.   
Now he reached for the other's hand, and indeed his fingers were cool and dry. The temperatures outside really did not affect him. No wonder Yuriy hadn't noticed how overheated Boris, Sergeij, and Kai had been.   
"Very useful," Kai said and quickly let go. "So you could have continued after all?”   
"Oh, I thought I’d listen to the wisdom of the former team captain of the world champions. Moreover, I think I’m gonna save some energy to kick your ass later."  
Kai rolled his eyes and turned away to look for his wallet, which he had thrown somewhere between his things. He had to dig through his clothes for a while before he found it at the bottom of his travel bag. He stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans and looked around for the key card.  
"Do you actually turn a lot of guys' heads?" The words hit him suddenly, so Kai couldn't quite hide his surprise when he turned his gaze back to Yuriy. He was already waiting at the door, holding both key cards in his hand.   
"Why are you asking?", he said. Yuriy raised his shoulders. "Just curious." His eyes burned into Kai and of course he could not just shut him up like he did with other people. But what did his leader expect?   
"My God, then don't," Yuriy suddenly said and opened the door to go outside. Kai raised an eyebrow and followed him. There was a strange silence between them that lasted until they were standing in the lift on the way down. There Kai crossed his arms and said: "I can't complain."   
Yuriy raised his head and looked at him uncomprehendingly.   
"Guys, I mean."   
"I see."   
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Hmm."   
"Hey, you asked!" The lift rang a short bell when they got to the ground floor, then the doors opened. Their bickering continued as they walked through the lobby. Kai was only half as indignant as he made believe. But he just couldn't ignore Yuriy's hardly concealed grin. "Are you judging me now or what?" he asked.   
"I just have my own thoughts on that," Yuriy replied.   
"You don't think shit, lvanov. It's none of your business who I date."   
"You are so easily provoked."   
"Oooh, I don't consider this provocation, don't worry."   
"Okay."  
"Okay!”

Kai's last visit to Rome was so long ago that he could hardly remember anything, except maybe Giancarlo's fight with Takao. And Yuriy didn't seem to know what to do with himself now that he was in a place with so many sights. Had they been travelling alone, they would probably have each taken a path of their own at random and would have found something of interest at some point. But now they both did not know what to do with each other's company. So they stood somewhat indecisively in front of the hotel until Kai pulled himself together. "So... Antiquity or Renaissance?"   
"Uh...doesn't it all look the same?"   
"What? What did they teach you in school?"   
Yuriy rolled his eyes. "I've had some other problems lately."  
"Pah, beskulturny chelovek!" Kai said emphatically snobbishly and caught an amused side glance from his team captain. At that moment he remembered something. "Oh, I know where we are going. You're going to love this."  
Without waiting for an answer he set himself in motion. In the hotel lobby, he had taken a map of the city centre with him, which he now unfolded. Their destination was to the north, but within walking distance. He did not turn around when he started walking and relied on Yuriy to follow him. And indeed, a moment later the other one caught up with him.   
They found a café where they could get a cheap espresso (and this, at the latest, completely distracted Yuriy from the desire to continue training; Italian coffee was far better than anything he had ever drunk before). Then they strolled along the side streets, stopping every now and then if something caught their attention - and there was a lot to see in Rome. In a small piazza, they encountered Team Baihuzu. They were sitting on chairs under an umbrella and watched them curiously while spooning large ice cream cups. Kai pretended not to notice their glances, but Yuiry looked back irritated. "I really wonder what's so funny about us," he said as they stopped at a kiosk to look at cheap souvenirs. Kai turned the frame with the sunglasses before he took one and put it on. "You're behaving normally," he said and briefly looked at himself in the scratched mirror, "unlike last time.” Then he took off the glasses again. Yuriy intervened when he wanted to put them back and put them on himself. "Well?"  
"They look better on you," Kai said, "And you got sunburn on your nose."   
Something between them had changed since they had ended their disputes in Irkutsk. They treated each other with more respect, and it was almost scary for Kai how quickly he had adapted to Team Neo Borg. As one would expect from Abbey boys, all four of them worked together efficiently. But he wanted to believe that their upbringing alone was not the only reason for this. Yuriy, he could tell by now, was a good team captain (except, maybe, for whatever had been going on in the morning). He didn't ask where Kai went when he disappeared for a few hours every now and then; in return, Kai kept to the few rules Yuriy set. The former Team Borg had changed. It was unmistakable that life without Volkov was doing them good. Boris seemed more relaxed and spoke a lot more than two years ago. That was also the reason why Kai and he clashed so often, because Boris simply couldn't or didn't want to miss any opportunity for a teasing. Sergeij, on the other hand, was as silent as ever, but his aggressive charisma and with it the permanent knuckle-cracking, that used to make everyone in his immediate surroundings feel sheer terror, had disappeared.   
Yuriy's change could not be overlooked and yet was difficult to describe. In some moments there was a trust between them that Kai could not explain. Yet there was still a boundary that he instinctively respected. Both their childhood and Yuriy's knowledge of Volkov lay behind it.   
The longer they walked through the narrow alleys, where it was much cooler than in the square, and quiet despite the streams of tourists on the main paths, the more excited Yuriy got about the foreign city. And Kai felt a satisfied pride growing in himself - after all, this was also his merit. The Bladebreakers probably had felt the same way when he had started to join them more and more often on their little adventures. Until now he had never understood why they always had to congratulate each other as soon they could persuade him to come with them.   
Sometimes it was hard for Kai to take his eyes off his leader. When they found an antiquarian bookstore and Yuriy reached out his hand to pull an illustrated book out of a cardboard box in front of the shop window and flipped through it, Kai noticed faint freckles on his forearm. In some places the skin was reddened and a vein was visible on his wrist.   
Yuriy slammed the book shut and smiled at him briefly. "Shall we go on?"  
And good Lord, that smile.   
They only had to go around two more corners, then they stood in front of a church. Yuriy looked up at the portal and raised an eyebrow. "That's...subtle."   
"That’s it," Kai explained and waved him on to the museum, which was in an outbuilding. Yuriy must have been gripped with curiosity, because he followed him without further comment, and willingly joined him so that they had enough money for two tickets. Only when they were already walking through the exhibition did it seem to dawn on him what was special about this place. "Wait", he said at some point, "Do I understand that correctly? They have a crypt full of bones here?"  
"Yep", Kai replied, "And there are so many bones, in fact, that they have made works of art out of them."  
"Ooh." The expression on his companion's face immediately became more alert. Kai couldn’t help but grin. "I knew you were as morbid as me," he said.   
"That shouldn't come as a surprise, really.”  
A short time later, they peered into the ossuary, which contained several rooms in which greying bones were put together to form kaleidoscopic patterns. In some corners, complete skeletons in capuchin robes lay and stood, and small crosses were rammed into the floor. There was even a skeleton attached to the ceiling, which, a bone scythe in hand, gazed down on them. The whole place was a Memento Mori.   
For a while they stood next to each other in silence, then Kai turned his head carefully to be able to see Yuriy's reaction unnoticed. His companion looked at the columns of skulls that rose around them, his face was nothing but undivided fascination. Again Kai was satisfied with himself in a rather ridiculous way.   
"Remember the crypt in the abbey church?" This sentence tore him away from his thoughts, but Yuriy had not turned away from the skulls while speaking. Kai hesitated. Two years ago he had trained with the Black Dranzer in an underground hall full of columns. Was that what Yuriy meant? "Yes. I think so," he said cautiously.   
"And do you remember the prank?"   
"A prank? - Hold on." He couldn't help but full-on stare at Yuriy now as some of the pieces of his past came together in one fell swoop. The portico, illuminated by Black Dranzer's ominous glow, was replaced by another room, similar, but not the same. And the light was different, the memory was older. He was familiar with it, but he had never been able to really pin it down. "I was holding a candle," he said slowly, "There were paintings on the wall. Golden. They were shining. And I..." He paused, thinking. Something had frightened him in this room. He frowned, then he realized: "You assholes locked me in there!"  
"Together with the coffin of the old Abbot Vasily Vassilyevich. And at some point you begged us to let you out again." Yuriy smiled at him.   
"Whose goddamn idea was that? Wait, don't tell me, it was either Boris or Ivan, that little piece of shit..." With these words, Kai overplayed the laughter that lay in his throat. For years he had been uncomfortable with the memories of the crypt - but it had only been a banal prank!  
"Oh, no", Yuriy replied, "That was all my idea.” He seemed quite satisfied with himself.  
Kai decided not to expose himself and admit that Yuriy's great idea had caused a moderately severe childhood trauma. As far as he could remember, he must have been six or seven years old. Even years later, in Japan, he had sometimes had nightmares of mummified corpses rising from stone sarcophagi. "I remember a lot of things," he said, trying to sound as neutral as possible, "Only with a lot of things I don't know exactly when it happened. Or in what order."  
Yuriy just nodded and then let his eyes wander again. They had spent some time surrounded by bones now, but every time Kai took a closer look again, a new detail caught his eye. The skulls, which at first seemed to be all the same, were very different from each other. One was tempted to imagine the people they had once been.   
"Did you know that they were trying to turn the abbey back into a religious site," Yuriy spoke up again.  
"Really?"  
"Yes. I've heard that some rich people are very keen to restore the buildings. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me."   
"What would you do with the abbey?" Kai asked.   
Yuriy tilted his head, his face became hard. "I would burn it down. Down to the last stone."  
Of course, he hadn't expected any other answer. "Me too", Kai said.   
"Well. Too bad it didn't work out when you brought the Black Dranzer back to Volkov."   
"Probably should have chased it into one of the heating boilers."   
"Yeah. Instead, the lights just went out everywhere. I didn't know it was your fault until much later." Yuriy sighed and turned around. Finally they headed for the exit. "If I had known that only a few days later it would all be over..."   
"What then?" Kai asked quietly and Yuriy gave him a quick glance over his shoulder before he put his hands in his pockets and walked further ahead. "I want to believe that I would have run away," he replied as they passed by large Renaissance paintings in which monks turned rapturously towards the sky with folded hands. "But to be honest, I probably wouldn't have known better than to fight anyway. Maybe more for me and less for Volkov. But I would have stayed with Borg." 

By the evening, Yuriy's sunburn had gotten worse. His arms and his face were visibly reddened. They sat next to each other in a hidden corner in the courtyard of the hotel, smoking secretly and listening to David Bowie on Kai's MP3 player. The acoustics were terrible, because they each had only one headphone. After a while, Kai could no longer resist the urge and pressed his index finger into Yuriy’s skin. A distinct white spot remained, which only slowly faded back. "You need aprés-sun," he said.   
"Yes, Mom."  
"Doesn't that hurt?" He pricked him again, placing a chain of bright spots on his forearm until Yuriy grabbed him by the wrist. "Don't do that." Then he raised his free hand and plucked the cigarette from Kai's mouth. Kai watched the movements of his lips and how he squinted his eyes a bit as he inhaled, while Bowie's dark voice purred in his ear. Only then did he notice that Yuriy was looking at him, too, that they had been looking at each other silently the whole time. And that he was still holding his hand. 

After their evening training session, Kai stood in the shower and mentally prepared himself for the next tournament day. The monotonous rushing of the water helped him to concentrate. He imagined Dranzer whizzing back and forth, performing daring hooks. Suzaku's spirit flickered beneath his ribs, her closeness was reassuring. Although this World Cup had already cost him more nerves than all the tournaments before, he managed to completely block out the outside world in moments like this. He didn't know how other bladers prepared for their battles - for him this kind of visualisation was the best way. He leaned forward and let water run over his head. His hair stuck on his cheeks and shoulders. He heard nothing but the sound of the water - that is, until the door opened.   
"Kai?" It was Yuriy’s voice. Didn't he want to go over to Boris’ and Sergeij’s room to make sure they hadn't overworked themselves? Maybe he had just come back. In any case, he was not fazed at all by the fact that Kai was standing in front of him naked. After a short discussion on the first day they had decided that it was okay - that is, quicker - to use the bathroom at the same time, at least to get ready. Through the milky panes of the shower cubicle he saw Yuriy leaning against the sink and crossing his arms. "They just told us who we are up against."   
Kai did not move, but simply waited.   
"BBA Revolution," Yuriy said, "The day after tomorrow."   
Finally, he pushed his hair back and straightened up again. "Well … shit."   
"You wanna elaborate on that for me?" Yuriy asked. "Are you worried?"  
"Why should I be?" he replied. "It's just a little too soon for my taste. You saw their last fight. Kinomiya is not up to it. I don't want to fight him like that." With a jerk he opened the doors of the shower cubicle, the redhead getting hit by a few drops. "Pass me the towel."   
"I see," Yuriy said, pulled one of the towels off the stand and handed it to Kai. "I mean, I understand if you feel offended. But it would still be nice if you would make an effort to win." Kai returned his gaze only briefly, then leaned back to dry his hair. He didn’t bother to give a proper answer. 

The battle rounds in Rome began with Barthez Soldiers vs. Baihuzu. They watched the match in their cabin after the morning training. Kai sat on a bench and crossed his arms. His thoughts circled around Kinomiya. He remembered all the facts about his rival, every specialty, every weakness. It was almost uncanny how well he knew the other. Kinomiya rarely surprised Kai anymore; when he saw him blade, he could predict almost every move. Of course, this hadn't happened so often lately, for the simple reason that Kinomiya was playing much worse than usual. As Kai remembered the match between Baihuzu and the BBA Revolution, anger seethed in him again. Such a fight was worth nothing, and if Kinomiya continued like this, he would never make it to the final, and it was all for nothing.   
At that moment Yuriy sat down next to him. "Everything okay?", he asked when he noticed Kai's facial expression.   
"Hmmm", he just went on and his leader made an amusing sound. It was not the first time Kai wondered whether his rivalry with Kinomiya meant anything to Yuriy. Well, at least he had taken advantage of this to get him on his team. Whether he understood them beyond that was probably another matter altogether.  
The redhead leaned over to him while Boris turned on the TV and Sergeij put the water bottles he had just bought on the table. "I'm sure Kinomiya will recover if you shake him up a bit," he said, "so stop sulking.”   
"I'm not sulking!", Kai replied and lowered his arms. Yuri's grin widened and he noticed the sharp curve of his lips. Then he turned away and made a disparaging sound. There was no response from the other as the broadcast of the tournament began. Boris and Sergeij sat down on the bench behind them. Boris opened one of the water bottles. "Baihuzu will win, that's for sure," he said. Mentally, Kai agreed with him. It seemed impossible that Rei would lose against such bloody beginners. The Bowl had just been unveiled and the audience was roaring, they heard the cheers through the thin walls. Their room was located under the stands.   
"Kai," Yuriy suddenly said in a serious tone and so quietly that he thought he had misheard it at first. "Watch closely."   
The meaning of these words remained a mystery to him until Lai lost his match. "What was that?" cried Boris angrily and Sergei crossed his arms. "Something is wrong," he said. Yuriy's gaze did not leave the screen for a second.   
Kai wanted to believe in a stroke of luck for Barthez Soldiers, but then Rei met Miguel. And what happened in this fight defied all logic. When Driger flew out of the stadium, he couldn’t help but gasp quietly. "What the hell?" Now Boris had jumped up. "This can't be happening! Damn it! Where's the slow-motion when you need it?"   
Kai looked at Yuriy who had his lips pressed together tightly. At that moment he had questions, many of them, but he knew that his team captain would not answer them. 

Kai hated Hitoshi Kinomiya. He could say that with certainty now at the latest. He stood on the podium, surrounded by screaming spectators, and opposite him Daichi Sumeragi, bouncing up and down as usual. It was a grotesque dejá vu of their preliminary round fight, and as before, Kai felt more than out of place. And Hitoshi Kinomiya mocked him. Sitting there on the bench, his arms crossed and a dirty grin on his face. There was no trace of his younger brother.   
This match was completely wrong. It had been ill-fated from the beginning. It came much too early, nobody had expected them to meet the BBA Revolution in the second round already. And now Kinomiya was not even here. Instead, Daichi and - of all people! - Kyoujyu were competing against them. Kai sensed that this was not only to teach the weakening champion a lesson - it was also his punishment for having left the team. A late revenge of Shippu-no Jin.   
At that moment he was disgusted by the tournament. He hated to be on display in that arena and to have to fight like that. He would have loved best to spit in Hitoshi’s face - not so metaphorical at all. With what arrogance this guy was acting. Had disappeared for years into some kind of oblivion and now expected them all to do exactly what he wanted. And Daitenji licked his feet. It disgusted Kai, and he was furious. Hitoshi didn't understand in the slightest what was going on between bladers like him and Kinomiya. How important such a match could be. And, damn it, nobody had the right to insult him like that. After all, he was Kai Hiwatari, and he had put a lot of time and energy into making sure that this name would be remembered by people.   
There was really only one answer he could give Hitoshi. This was a disadvantage for Neo Borg - but Yuriy would fix it. In contrast to their opponents, his leader showed no weakness at all.   
The countdown sounded and Kai launched Dranzer in a big gesture. But instead of entering the bowl, his blade flew directly towards Daichi's Gaia Dragoon. They collided while still mid-air, and while Gaia Dragoon fell down into the arena, Dranzer shot away at a completely different angle. It smashed into the bench on which the BBA Revolution was sitting - right next to Hitoshi's face. Then it jumped back into Kai's hand.   
For a moment the stadium was completely silent. Hitoshi's facial expressions showed no emotion, but Kai was sure that nobody here would seriously believe that Dranzer's trajectory happened to be exactly that. He had made his point clear. He turned around and left the podium, while DJ announced Daichi’s victory. It was only after a few seconds that the younger blader realised what had happened.   
Yuriy approached him. They met halfway between their bench and the bowl and Kai had the feeling that most of the eyes were on them at that moment. They looked at each other briefly, Yuriy only began to speak after they had almost passed each other. "What are you doing here, Kai?"  
"I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of winning this on your own," he replied. Then he continued on his way. Shortly afterwards he heard his leader sigh: "You really are a handful."   
Boris and Sergeij looked as if they wanted to tear him apart, but let him pass so he could sit on the bench. There would be some kind of aftermath, regardless of how Yuriy fared now. But he regretted nothing, on the contrary: it had felt so good just to flip the whole tournament apparatus off. First and foremost, of course, Hitoshi, who had far too much control over this competition anyway. He and Daitenji were acting too familiar with each other.  
The second match started and Kai raised his head when the whirring of the blades could be heard. Wolborg drove Kyoujyu's Blade, Einstein, in front of him like a cat driving a mouse. But Einstein, of course, was no ordinary Blade. Kai knew that a spring was embedded in its axis, which made it perform daring jumps. It was enough to briefly surprise Yuriy, but Wolborg was still many times superior. Moreover, his team captain was probably one of the most experienced bladers in this tournament. Whatever Kyoujyu tried, there was almost no attack pattern his opponent did not know. And Yuriy didn't just leave it at blading: He unsettled Kyoujyu with a few provocative remarks. The younger one was a shy person anyway and must have been dying of tension right now; so Yuriy's verbal attacks could easily finish him off.   
The fight lasted longer than Kai had expected. But Yuriy took his time, toyed with him a little and showed what Wolborg could do. Maybe it was meant as a small demonstration of power for Kai. He couldn’t deny that the white blade was a beautiful but dangerous sight. Perfect technique, absolute control.   
Things were getting dicey for the BBA revolution, so Hitoshi stepped in to cheer Kyoujyu on. Now life came back into the fight, as Kyoujyu actually managed to throw a few punches. Yuriy was somewhat impressed, but Kai was not surprised. Comebacks like these were something of a trademark of the BBA. The fact that his team captain was starting to sweat a bit only made the match more interesting.   
But then Yuriy had had enough. Kai perhaps felt it a moment earlier than everyone else and unconsciously straightened up. The aura of the Siberian wolf spread throughout the stadium, and then the cold came in. He hadn't seen this special move yet, but while they were still in Russia he had heard Boris and Ivan talking about it one day. The Novae Rog, the ice storm, inspired by the subarctic temperatures of Severodvinsk, Yuriy's birthplace. If he now used this attack, it was definitely meant as a warning to all their opponents. And so Kai waited for what might come. The hairs on his skin stood up as the frost reached out, and unconsciously he pressed his crossed arms more strongly against his chest. The bowl was wrapped in a swirl of ice and snow. Against this backdrop, Yuriy's figure stood out sharply, as if the storm had enveloped him with gentle fingers. Kai was spellbound by this sight. So that was Yuriy's power. A warm flicker spread through his stomach - Suzaku, too, reacted to Wolborg's energy and protected him from the sinking temperatures. The ice crystals that the wind carried up to him shone like glass before they began to melt. They lay on Yuriy's shoulders, got caught in his hair. His skin seemed to have lost all colour. Kai couldn't see his face, but sometimes it was captured by one of the cameras and projected onto the monitor - Yuriy's eyes seemed darker than usual and he smiled threateningly. This was his element, and in that moment he was completely himself.   
Kyouyju, on the other hand, suffered visibly; he had nothing to oppose the Novae Rog and was not protected by his own Bit Beast. His blade was covered in ice, then Wolborg hit it one last time. The plastic, strained by the temperature, shattered. Einstein disintegrated into countless individual parts, while Wolborg slowly floated back to the ground and touched down with a gentle click. When Kai saw this, his eyes narrowed. He glanced briefly at Kyoujyu and his fears were confirmed as the other stared at the white blade instead of mourning Einstein's loss. So they had both noticed.   
When Yuriy caught Wolborg, the last snowflakes fell from his clothes. Boris went over to him and took the blade to give it a quick checkup. Meanwhile, Yuriy didn't even look over at Kai. He wondered if he should warn his team captain, because Kyoujyu did not remain inactive either: He was rooting around wildly in his spare parts box. Finally Boris and Yuriy returned to the bank.   
"You were in trouble," Kai began.   
"I was just playing with him a bit," replied the redhead.  
Kai opened his mouth, but at that moment several things happened at once: DJ called the deciding match, but was interrupted by a sudden commotion behind the barrier to the tiers. It was Kinomiya who fought doggedly against two stewards and had already climbed halfway over the barrier. Kai stood up and stepped next to Yuriy to watch the spectacle. Kinomiya loudly demanded to take part in the third battle. But of course, one of the many rules of this World Cup said that it was not possible. "How selfish," Yuriy judged, and then turned to Kai: "Unlike you, I want to win this tournament. You know that, right?"   
"Do what you think is right," he replied. Before he could continue, Boris called for Yuriy again, and the redhead left without another word. Kai drew his mouth and crossed his arms again. All right, in that case he would just let his leader run off to his doom. 

Yuriy caught up with him in the changing room. His body stiffened when he heard the door behind them fall shut.   
"I don't believe it, Kai!" Yuriy said quietly, "I didn't let you in this team just to stand around and be pretty! You’re here to fucking beyblade!"   
Kai just rolled his eyes.  
"That was just ridiculous! I was inclined to ignore your airs and graces…”  
"...until you lost yourself, didn't you?", he interrupted him and turned around with a jerk, "How can you be so stupid and use the same strategy twice? It was obvious that Kyouyju would see through your attack!"  
"Oh, was it?" Yuriy said, "Well, seems like I'm not omniscient. But since you're so smart, you could have said a word!"  
"Since when do you accept my help?"  
"We are a team!" Yuriy shouted, "How many times do I have to tell you?"  
They stared at each other, no one wanted to lower their gaze. "You distrust me," Kai said.  
"Of course I do - and apparently rightly so! How many times have I told you not to screw things up, and what do you do?" He stretched out his arms, a gesture that comprehended everything that had happened until now. "We can't afford to lose, don't you understand?"   
"Well, you should have thought about that before you strutted into the battle with Sumeragi!", Kai hissed.   
"Oh, fuck you." Yuriy looked as if he wanted to spit out the words. "Tell me what to do now. Should I substitute Boris for you?"  
Kai snorted. "You wouldn't win another match."   
"Wow. That arrogance. You know, you're not the only one who trained to the hilt in Irkutsk - but oh yes! You can't know that, you weren't there most of the time!"   
Kai raised his eyebrows. "I thought we had cleared that up. What do you want from me? If I'm going to blade well, I need my own training."   
"Yes, but that's the point - you don't blade well!"  
"Are you saying I'm weak?" His hands clenched into fists. Did Yuriy really think he stopped the fight out of fear? Of Sumeragi?   
"You tell me, Kai.” He opened his mouth, but his leader was not finished with him: "I really thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I defended you too - against Boris, against Ivan, even against Sergeij. Even Sergei got fed up with your behaviour at some point. But you... you're just..." He ran out of words.   
"Well what?", Kai asked, although he didn't want to hear more of it.  
"...so much worse than I expected," Yuriy finished the sentence. "And that really means something. What am I supposed to do with you, huh? Who's to say it won't happen again?"   
Kai felt a slight, painful sting, which he ignored. How dare Yuriy blame him alone for this embarrassment? His anger about it surpassed almost any sense of guilt.   
"Okay, so just so I understand this correctly," he said, "We're talking about one - one! - match that I didn't even play, and now you're accusing me of being a bad blader? You, of all people? After you lost your own match because you were just too stupid to adjust your strategy?"   
"Yes!" Yuriy said, "Yes, indeed! But that is by far not all. I thought we were in agreement about our ambitions for this tournament. I wanted to rely on you - and the first thing you're doing is stabbing us, your team, in the back because of a few sentimentalities!"  
"A few sentimentalities? Kinomiya mocked me out there!”  
"Oh my God, Kai! Is that what this is about? They hurt your pride? Your Blader Honor?" At that last word, Yuriy's tone of voice fell into sarcasm. He crossed his arms and looked at Kai. "So, was it worth it?"   
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Yes", he said simply. Yuriy threw his arms up in resignation, as if he wanted to hit something. Kai thought about offering him his face again, just to irritate him a little more. But then the other turned back to him. "Okay", he sighed and put one hand on the back of his neck as if he was tense. "Okay, that's enough. Follow me."  
"To where?"  
"You and me," he opened the door, "are going to have a match now. So move!"   
"A beybattle?", Kai said in disbelief, but he had no choice but to follow his team captain who was already outside. He didn't know why he was doing that in the first place. Something in Yuriy's tone of voice didn't allow for any argument. "Yes, a beybattle," he said as he walked down the aisle in front of him, "I just played two matches, you - none at all. So you should be able to easily beat me."   
Kai raised an eyebrow. "And then what?"   
"Then I know I've got the right guy on my team." Yuriy pushed open another door and stepped aside to let him in. "If I win, Hiwatari... You're out."   
They were standing in one of the smaller training rooms. There was a bowl here that was about the same size as the one in which they had played the tournament rounds. Kai reached into his jacket to pull out Dranzer, but Yuriy reached out his hand. "Give me the bit chip," he commanded, "I will not risk our blades being scrapped in this action."   
Grinding his teeth, Kai removed Suzaku's bit from the attack ring. It seems ridiculous, but the bits were still needed to call the Bit Beasts during a battle. So without them, their match would not be fought with strength, but with technique alone. Their blades would be even more similar now. Dranzer might have had a bit more attack power, but Wolborg was more agile. Only the degree of control they had would decide the fight. And Kai knew that Yuriy was one of the best here in terms of pure technique. Damn, only a few days ago his leader had discovered a formal flaw with him at first sight, which he hadn't even been aware of himself. So whatever he was doing, he had to expect that his opponent would see through it and notice every mistake immediately.  
They took up their positions on opposite sides of the arena and started without any command. Neither of them had the patience for this kind of formality. But instead of attacking each other right away, they kept their distance. "Well, what now?" commented Yuriy, "You’re afraid?"   
Kai was silent, but Dranzer made a detour and sent a first blow towards Wolborg.   
"You're so easily provoked today." Now it was Dranzer who took a hit.   
They held back with attacks, because as soon as one of them changed their movement pattern, the other one became aware of it and reacted accordingly. Over time, their match seemed less like a trial of strength than a demonstration of their skills. Kai found himself waiting with bated breath for Yuriy's next move, simply because he wanted to know what his opponent had in store. Suzaku's energy flickered inside him, somewhere near his diaphragm. And it seemed to him that he could feel Wolborg too, like a breath of frost in the air surrounding him. This was unusual; similar effects were only known to him from the Bit Beasts of the former Bladebreakers, and that was because Suzaku was connected to them as one of four parts of the same whole. Bit Beasts like Wolborg, which were outside of this whole, were usually not noticeable at all when not used in combat. Maybe Suzaku was still sensitive to the Ice Wolf because of the tournament match?  
At some point Wolborg passed by Dranzer very closely; Kai reacted with lightning speed and dealt a few precise blows. "Good," commented his team captain, and as he gave him a bewildered look he saw that the other's eyes were fixed firmly on their blades and a grim smile lay on his face. His breath had become heavier, he probably was exhausted after the two matches against the BBA Revolution. Perhaps Kai could wait for a moment when his opponent was careless and - "Too late," said Yuriy, while Wolborg dodged Dranzer’s attack.   
"I will get you eventually," Kai replied and indeed, the next attack did not miss its target. Yuriy sharply sucked in the air. The white blade bounced off the edge of the arena, but the angle was favourable. Wolborg pushed off a few more times, then he met Dranzer again, who was thrown off his course. A curse escaped Kai’s mouth, but it sounded more admiring than angry. "Not bad, Ivanov."   
"Sounds like you're surprised, Hiwatari," Yuriy gasped. Slowly but surely he ran out of energy. Kai also noticed how the long fight was draining on him, too. But Yuriy’s defence was still solid. It was almost impossible to deliver a really dangerous blow against him. But maybe Kai could take advantage of this behaviour...  
Yuriy played it safe here. He defended himself, but his attacks were hardly ever really surprising. He seldom took risks - unlike Kai.  
He had not yet consolidated his plan in the slightest when he had to carry it out. No sooner had Kai deciphered Wolborg's movement pattern when he had Dranzer abruptly change course. This caused him to lose some speed, but with a bit of luck the power of his blade was still enough to push his opponent out of the bowl. These all-or-nothing attacks had made the Bladebreakers famous; more than once they had had to go for broke in Battles.   
Yuriy yelled in surprise, then Wolborg was hit and rolled at his feet. Dranzer, on the other hand, scraped along the edge of the bowl and then came to rest in the middle. Its rotation speed had slowed considerably, and a few seconds later it too fell to the side. Still, Kai had clearly won.  
Yuriy collapsed to the floor. "That was good," he said, panting, "Would be nice if you’d blade like that in the official matches, too."   
Kai had become dizzy for a moment and he had to rest his hands on his knees for a moment before he could stand up again. With an energetic mental jolt he pushed Suzaku back, who flared up inside him once more. She wanted to keep fighting. Their short fight left an unpleasant burning in Kai's stomach. Nevertheless, he was much better off than Yuriy, who had probably lost his last ounce of strength in this battle. The other one didn't seem frustrated about his defeat, on the contrary: He looked quite content with himself. And Kai also noticed that his anger had vanished. This fight had been fun.  
He sighed and went over to Yuriy. Put his hands in his pockets and watched him. He knew what he had to say, but he was still uncomfortable. Because he had made a mistake. Because he had to apologise for it. "Okay. I admit I screwed up," he finally said, faster and quieter than intended.   
His leader looked up at him calmly. "Indeed."   
Kai twisted his mouth.   
"We both messed up. From now on we have to coordinate better," Yuriy said, "And we should think of something to tell the press.”   
"I will," Kai offered.   
"No. I don't feel like watching you get torn apart by the press. I will make a statement."   
Astonished Kai looked at him. No one had ever done anything like that for him before. He himself for others, of course, for the Bladebreakers, because it had been his duty as team leader... Ah, that had to be the reason.   
"Wow", he said and averted his eyes again, "It's strange to have a captain."  
"It's nice, isn't it?" Yuriy smiled, then he came back to his feet. "Promise me this won't happen again."  
"Of course," Kai said.   
The redhead groaned and stretched slowly. "Damn. I need a smoke. You in?"  
Kai raised his shoulders without obligation and nodded. Whatever.   
A few minutes later they were crouching on the windy steel stairs in the shadow of the building. Kai pulled a cigarette out of one of the inside pockets of his jacket, where he always carried a small supply. Unfortunately, however, he did not find his lighter. "Can you help me?" he finally mumbled with the cigarette in his mouth while he tapped his jacket one last time with both hands. Yuriy switched on his lighter and held it out to him, but it was blown out by the wind. They both sighed, Kai raised one hand in front of the flame and Yuriy came very close, perhaps just to provide more wind protection. Kai breathed in and smelled Yuriy’s hairspray. At that moment the cigarette lit up, he inhaled automatically, and all the scents were masked by the taste of the smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beskulturny chelovek means "uncultured swine", but slightly nicer. 
> 
> Dear readers, thank you and I love you <3


	5. Madrid

Baihuzu vs. F-Sangre  
Neoborg vs. PPB All Starz  
BBA Revolution vs. Barthez Soldiers

Dranzer drew circles in the arena. Kai stood on the podium and watched his blade with his eyes half-closed. It was like meditation. He could almost physically feel Dranzer’s balanced vibrations. Even Suzaku’s smouldering heat in his bowels was somewhat bearable today. As he hadn't fought seriously in the last round, he felt strangely energized, but the price had been too high. Yes, he had underestimated Daichi, but if there was one thing Kai could say about himself, it was that he would not make the same mistake twice. And so he had been training doggedly since then. He hadn't done any sightseeing in Madrid yet, because he spent his time in the hotel and the stadium, which they were allowed to use for training outside the competitions. A list was kept so that no two teams could occupy the arenas at the same time, and Yuriy had already booked several time slots for them. Other coaches, such as Hitoshi Kinomiya and Judy Mizuhara, were not at all happy about this, but their objections fell on deaf ears with the tournament management. There were more training facilities a little further away, which were almost as well equipped as the main venue. Even Boris and Sergeij were amused when they heard about it - after what had happened with their training facilities in Rome, it only seemed fair. Especially Boris, who had taken on the role of technician in their team, benefited from the equipment that was available here.  
They would next compete against the PPB All Starz, against Max and Rick. To his own surprise, Kai was actually looking forward to the match. In the past, he had far too rarely competed against Max, even in practice fights. And he knew that the blonde was always good for a surprise. Their match would be interesting. Rick, on the other hand, was boring and annoying. All he could do was to carry out one attack after the other, and that was as exhausting mentally as physically. Kai was glad that Yuriy would take over this match. His team captain was more pragmatic than himself, he would play against anyone that was put in front of him.  
Just at that moment Yuriy entered the hall. Kai didn’t need to turn around, he recognized him by the sound of his footsteps. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his captain step next to him. He looked down at Dranzer, too.  
"Let's try a double," Yuriy said.  
Kai let Dranzer jump into his hand and turned to him. "A double?"  
"Yes. You saw the match yesterday. That could be us one day. And then I want to be prepared."  
"Hm." Yuriy was right: the battle between Baihuzu and F Sangre had shaken everyone. Especially when the former lost. Rei and Lai, as well as Yuriy and Kai, had already bladed together in their childhood and one would have to assume that they had mastered blading in double perfectly. But only a small irritation was enough to disturb the balance. Nevertheless, Kai remained sceptical. "Let me tell you what will happen if we combine the Novae Rog and the Blazing Gig: The arena will look like the streets in Moscow when the snow thaws in spring."  
"And to prevent that, we should train," Yuriy replied. Kai still hesitated. He had never played in doubles and would do his utmost to keep it that way even if challenged. But his leader did have a point, and besides, he was probably one of the few people Kai thought could keep up with him in a double match. "All right," he sighed.  
They launched their blades simultaneously. Dranzer and Wolborg landed in the arena at the same time and began to circle each other. Then Wolborg made a few turns and Kai understood that he should follow. He let Dranzer catch up.  
It was surprisingly easy for them to keep in sync. They knew each other's movement patterns and their blades’ types were somewhat related - Wolborg endurance, Dranzer balance. At some point, they individualised their moves again, but without deviating from the overall rhythm: Sometimes Dranzer did a slightly longer lap, sometimes Wolborg playfully circled around it before it returned to its own path.  
"So far, so good," Yuriy said, "Let's go for an attack then." And here the difficulties began. As soon as Yuriy channelled the power of his Bit Beast, cold spread around the Bowl. Ice crystals grew over the smooth surfaces and Wolborg's rotation triggered a biting cold breeze. But when Kai called Suzaku, things began to unfold exactly as he had foreseen: they were hit by hot and cold winds simultaneously. The ice melted into puddles, and the blades began to slip. It got so bad that they were forced to end the round.  
"Hm," Yuriy went somewhat unfazed, "Again."  
A number of attempts went by like this. It was impossible to unite the fire and ice of their Bit Beasts without creating a huge mess. Moreover, their attacks seemed to rob each other of power, neutralizing instead of strengthening each other. While this irony had initially made them grin wearily, they were now becoming increasingly frustrated. And this was not exactly good for their overall performance.  
Finally they looked at each other helplessly while the blades were still buzzing through the arena. "Shit," Yuriy simply said. Kai twisted his mouth and squatted down at the edge of the bowl, watching their blades. Then he called Dranzer back. Puddles of water had formed all around them, they would probably have to change the arena soon, because it looked as if a small lake would form at the bottom of the present one. Wolborg stirred up the water and Kai was hit by a small splash. What was going on? Was Wolborg too weak? After all, Yuriy had lost to Daichi. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to keep up with their opponents? But Kai himself didn't quite believe that - and Yuriy was still calm, which seemed like a good sign at that moment.  
"Last try", Kai decided grimly and stood upright again.  
They launched again, and as always, the blades quickly found their rhythm. That alone would be enough to unsettle less experienced bladers, but they were playing at world level, and that’s why they needed an attack. They couldn't afford playing a double if they couldn't attack their opponents.  
Kai felt Suzaku, whose warmth had now spread throughout him. At that moment, however, it was not unpleasant. Without really realizing what he was doing, he released her and she rose above his blade as a shapeless presence. He could not enjoy that for long, for now Wolborg, too, was enveloped by the aura of its Bit Beast. A terrifyingly sudden roar emerged, which swallowed all other sounds. The air started moving again, a small storm began to tug on their clothes, and Kais' long scarf whipped back and forth in his back. He blinked at the gusts, not daring to look away to see what Yuriy was up to. The two presences touched each other, intertwined, and Kai struggled to keep Suzaku under control. It felt like she was about to get the upper hand. She tugged at him, a burning sensation spread over his skin as if he was hit by thousands of small grains of sand. The Bit Beasts recognised each other, Kai felt his phoenix being drawn to the wolf, as she threatened to slip away from him. He held her back, it felt like he was fighting a blizzard. What the hell was Yuriy doing? Why did he let Wolborg come so close to him? In that moment, he realised that it wasn't sand on his skin, but sharp ice crystals. He closed his eyes to concentrate. He couldn't see anything within the vortex of the elements anyway. Suzaku controlled his thoughts, while Wolborg's icy winds swept over him again and again.  
"Kai!" That was Yuriy's voice, somewhere behind him. "Kai, stop blocking me off like that!"  
Kai just shook his head, still focused on Suzaku. What was that supposed to mean? He felt frost burning into his skin. Wolborg was getting closer and closer and Suzaku didn't seem to want to protect him from the wolf. The only thing stopping Wolborg was Kai's will.  
Suddenly he felt a touch. Yuriy had firmly put his hand on his shoulder. And with that, Kai's mental barrier broke away. He took a sharp breath.  
_Yuriy stood before him, blue eyes huge in his child-like face. The jumper he was wearing was much too big for him and when he spoke, his breath was visible in the air. "Volkov says we fight together," he said, and Kai was shocked at how high his own voice sounded when he answered, "But who gets the black Beyblade? Then Yuriy's face changed, became grim and determined. "The strongest, of course, stupid."_  
Kai was catapulted back into the present. His mind was like a leaking vessel, all thoughts flowing out like liquid: the fear of losing to Kinomiya or not reaching the final at all; the joy of competing in a tournament over which there for once lay no threatening shadow; the confusion he felt when he thought about Yuriy because he simply could not stop thinking about him in the first place - He revealed all this before he even realised what was happening. He now sensed both Bit Beasts, their opposing forces, which somehow, in this moment, formed a unity. And then there was something else, something that he could not place at first. Yuriy himself. They were connected by Suzaku and Wolborg and it was strange, because Kai could not make sense of the signals that reached him. They were so diverse, so confused. There was nervousness and excitement and an energy like a frosty gust of wind. It was as if Kai caught some of Yuriy's thoughts that were directly aimed at him, but the moment passed so quickly that he couldn't be sure about that. And beneath it all, there was something dark and threatening, like an abyss of fear and anger. Intuitively, Kai leaned forward as if he wanted to peer into this darkness -  
Something hit him that felt like a burst of concentrated energy. Suddenly all the air left his lungs, and for a moment panic rose in him before he gasped for air. He could hear his pulse echoing in his skull, Yuriy's fingers, cold as ever, clawing his shoulder. The signals ebbed. Had Yuriy closed himself off to him? Had he pushed him back on purpose?  
A swirl of fire and ice passed over them, the result of the combined forces of their Bit Beasts. He had to turn away and reflexively protected his head with his arms. After only a few seconds it was over. Suzaku sank back into him and he couldn’t help but groan in pain as she shot into every corner of his body like lava. But already the temperature dropped and became somewhat bearable. His Bit Beast was satisfied.  
Kai blinked. All around the arena the floor was completely scratched, the bowl had a big crack. Had their attack really been that strong? He turned to Yuriy, who had his hand half raised, as if he wanted to put it to his forehead. His face relaxed while Kai was watching him, and he opened his eyes to look at him. The air between them seemed to vibrate, he couldn't take his eyes off him and Yuriy apparently felt the same. What had he seen? Did everything that had slipped away from Kai’s mind reach him? And what was this darkness he had encountered back then?  
"That was...intense," he finally said hoarsely. When Yuriy nodded, the spell was finally lifted. Kai breathed out and noticed that he was shaking. Then a sound came to his ears. He took a step towards the arena: There were their blades, spinning quietly in the centre.  
"What...were you doing, Kai," Yuriy said behind him, "Why did you block Wolborg off for so long?  
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to put your Bit Beast onto me?", Kai replied.  
"Put her onto you? That’s the point of a double - that our forces unite! I can’t stay away from you!"  
"But Wolborg's powers are contrary to Suzaku’s,” he explained, "They would’ve clashed, nothing more!”  
His team captain looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Damn it, Kai, you know damn well that... No." His eyes widened. "No, you don’t. Shit, are there any useful memories left in your brain at all?" Maybe he wanted to start laughing, but then he suddenly flinched and gasped. "What is it?", Kai asked. Yuriy still stood bent over and squinted his eyes as if he was concentrating on something. "Nothing, uh..." He paused briefly. "It’s nothing." 

The curtains were drawn when Kai entered the hotel room in the evening. He immediately sensed that something was wrong.  
"Yuriy?", he asked quietly and from the bed came an even quieter answer. It was much too early to go to bed.  
"Are you all right?"  
Rustling sheets. "No."  
"What's wrong?" Kai pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. Even in the dimmed light, Yuriy looked awful. "Did you eat something wrong?" Kai asked, trying to sound amused and failing, knowing that it wasn't that simple.  
"No, it's... a migraine of some sorts."  
"But you've never had a migraine!" he said and immediately realised how silly that sounded. Had Yuriy received a critical hit during their training earlier? He himself had been dizzy all day and neither fresh air nor water had done any good.  
A tired smile spread across Yuriy's face. "A little something as a memento of Volkov," he said, "I had hoped it would go away on its own. I was okay for maybe a year now. Maybe our match this morning triggered something." As he heard Volkov's name, Kai frowned. He couldn’t help but put a hand on the other's forehead, but instead of fever he felt cold sweat. "How long until it’s over?" he asked.  
Although he was obviously feeling terrible, Yuriy produced a dry laugh. "It hasn't even started yet."

The following hours were cruel. Kai could not do much. At first he just talked to Yuriy, thinking that the company might distract him, but he could see that Yuriy was getting worse by the minute. His miserable attempts to do something for his leader failed because of his puny medical knowledge and Yuriy's cynicism. There is nothing you can do. Don't bother.  
At some point he heard how Boris and Sergeij came back into their room, which was right next door, so he went over, reluctantly, but the two of them certainly knew more about what to do now. Boris followed him immediately, rummaged around in Yuriy's bag and suddenly held the strongest painkillers Kai had ever seen in his hand. "Maybe they'll help", he growled. But then it took him a few more minutes to convince their team captain to take the pills. Yuriy seemed to have a full-blown disgust for these things.  
It was the first time they didn’t argue, not even tease each other. Boris and Kai sat on the sofa, keeping an eye on Yuriy and saying nothing. Their team captain slept for a while, probably lulled by the medicine, before he suddenly opened his eyes and got up, rushed into the bathroom and vomited heavily. They both jumped up, but Boris held him back. "There's no room for three people in there anyway."  
Kai heard soft murmurs before they returned together, Boris with his arm tightly wrapped around Yuriy’s waist, as if he could collapse at any moment. While he brought Yuriy back to bed, Kai fetched a glass of water. Yuriy only drank a few small sips before he sank back down with a soft moan and closed his eyes. Again he seemed to drift away, and Kai and Boris retook their places on the sofa.  
"What happened?" Kai asked then.  
"We don't know," Boris replied and sighed, "After the fall of the Abbey the BBA took over. They found some doctors that examined us, probably to collect evidence for what happened in the Abbey. I heard them talking back then. Yuriy was full of all kinds of… stuff. I mean, we all were, but he was by far the worst. They never quite figured out what exactly Volkov put into his body." He paused for a moment because Yuriy moved. He just turned his head and then he lay still again. "This... migraine started later. It was very mild at first. But each time it happened it got stronger, until it knocked him out completely. Sometimes for days. The doctors tried to figure out how to help him, but there is not much you can do. Kyrill Pavlovich suspects that one of Borg's treatments damaged the blood vessels in his brain. Perhaps when they put him in the damn incubator. At some point, the brain can no longer cope with the strain. And to make up for that, they might have given him two or three antidotes that masked the migraines. Without Volkov, there was of course no more medication, so he has to deal with the damage now.”  
Kai took a long, tired breath, but said nothing.  
"We still thought it would get better," Boris continued, "Sergeij and I are fine, at least most of the time, and Yuriy hasn't had any problems for months. Last time wasn’t as bad, either. You know… he should not be competing. Like, at all. But you know how it is."  
Kai nodded. Once a blader, always a blader. Not competing was not possible. He thought about their morning training. "He talks about how important it is for us to win all the time," he said, "as if there was more to it than just the title.”  
"I've noticed," Boris said.  
"You know why?"  
"No. I was hoping he talked to you about it. With you two being the tag team and all."  
"I had the same suspicion, only reversed," Kai replied, "Because you're his best friend."  
"Well. Looks like even we are not allowed to know everything."  
For a while there was silence. Kai suspected Boris of cursing Yuriy internally, just as he did himself. But all this was of no use now. "He should take it easy", he finally said with a nod towards the bed.  
Boris laughed cheerlessly. "Have fun explaining that to him. Besides, he's not the only one. It's late, Kai," he added, and indeed, it was after midnight by now, "Go to my room and tell Sergeij to come over. There's a meeting tomorrow morning. You have to go there. We'll take care of Yuriy." He hesitated for a moment. "You can sleep in my bed."  
But Kai did not sleep. He lay on his back on the sofa in Boris’ and Sergeij's room staring at the ceiling, but nothing could be heard from next door. The next morning he went to the meeting, tired, irritated. The other managers and Daitenji looked at him worried, but he claimed Yuriy was working on a new blade and needed time. Then he went back and took over from Boris and Sergeij. He had to use all his authority to convince them to sleep a few hours as well.  
Yuriy was dozing off. His face was furrowed, as if the pain had dug into him with claws. Perhaps he felt Kai's gaze somewhat physically, because his eyelids began to twitch, then he turned his head and looked at him tiredly.  
"How are you?" Kai asked quietly.  
Yuriy groaned, but he pulled the corner of his mouth upwards. "You know, actually ... it's amazing how you can get used to it," he replied, "To the pain, I mean. It starts in your head, then it's everywhere. But somehow ... you get through it. It gets better slowly."  
"I hate Volkov... " He hadn't really thought about it - the words, this name, had just come out. Yuriy closed his eyes again and just nodded. The anger created a knot in Kai's chest, and a little below that Suzaku spewed out small, burning sparks.  
"I have dreams," Yuriy said without opening his eyes. He lay very still, as if the slightest movement would cause new pain. "When I am like this, I often dream about the incubator. Because I could not move in it. I ... couldn't even breathe on my own. But I was awake, in a strange way.”  
Suddenly, Kai's throat was dry. What exactly Volkov had done to Yuriy, he didn't know - he had never dared to ask. He had picked up some information here and there, but he had never really understood. But now he could no longer deny anything, and what Yuriy had said came over him like a hot wave. What the other must have experienced - he could not and would not dare to imagine.  
"I'll tell you something, Kai," Yuriy said at that moment and he raised his head to be able to look him in the face again. "I envy you. For your amnesia. I would like to erase some of my memories. But apparently I am not allowed to forget.”  
Suzaku, spurred on by his anger as usual, let her energy flow through him. He hated his forgetting. He hated the fact that his brain was still blocked against his memories. He would have loved to pay the price in pain if it meant he could finally get rid of the barrier that stood between himself and the others. His stomach cramped up and he would have loved to hit something to get some kind of relief. Instead, he tried to pull himself together. He could not say anything. He took a deep breath and blinked. There was Yuriy's hand, lying on the dark sheets. He reached for it, wrapped his fingers around it. Yuriy’s skin was cold and Kai almost shivered, but the touch calmed him down, so he didn't let go right away. Yuriy looked at him, confused. "Don't ask," Kai said.  
After a while, he felt the other one move in his grip, his thumb stroking Kai's hand. This time he really got goosebumps.  
"You are warm," Yuriy said, turning his head to the side tiredly. "That feels good..." 

During the second night Yuriy slowly started to get better, but he still was in pain at times. Kai could tell by the way he tensed up and relaxed again. The redhead was in a delirium of tiredness and exhaustion. He was hardly awake at all, but one could not call it sleep either. Kai didn't leave his side, he just couldn't let him out of his sight. Boris and Sergeij kept him company. They talked about the upcoming match. Boris suggested that neither Yuriy nor Kai should compete, but Kai just shook his head. "He will want to fight," he said and pointed at Yuriy. Boris sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so, too.”  
As morning began to dawn, Yuriy slept for two, maybe three hours. Boris and Sergeij had also dozed off on the sofa. When Kai noticed that Yuriy had stopped stirring, tiredness overcame him as well. It was time to make coffee, otherwise he would not survive the match today. But the thought remained. Without him really noticing, his head sank down onto his crossed arms.  
He woke up when someone touched his shoulder. The bright daylight blinded him as he blinked upwards, but he recognised Yuriy immediately, who was standing next to him. The traces of the past days and nights were clearly visible in his face. He was so pale that even his sunburn was no longer noticeable. "Oh God, you're alive again," Kai mumbled and could not help but sound relieved. Yuriy smiled. "Just in time," he said.  
Kai ran a hand through his hair and slowly got up from the chair. "So you want to blade today," he said, "You realize we're not going to let that happen? Boris will run for you..."  
"Kai..."  
"Shut up. You're not blading today."  
"Kai."  
"No!  
Yuriy hugged him. Just like that. Maybe he was just holding on to him because Kai felt him trembling. But whatever the reason, they were embracing, and he noticed that his hand was holding on to Yuriy’s shirt as well. He held him tight. It was strange to be so close to him, to feel his body, to breathe his scent.  
"I am the team leader, Kai," Yuriy said quietly, "Respect my decisions."  
"One day you will die for your decisions."  
"Says the right one."

Even Kai - as a blader with a pretty long career - had never seen someone like Rick before. Judy Mizuhara's new star had the energy of a battering ram and about the same effect on everyone who stood in his way.  
Max was the first to feel his anger. Kai watched as the blond returned to his team after their match and how Rick grabbed him by the collar roughly. He couldn't quite stop his hand from twitching, and Suzaku, who had gained strength from the fight, let a short flame shoot through his chest. It cost him some willpower to simply turn away and make way for the second match.  
Then Rick surprised everyone by winning against Yuriy - Yuriy, of all people! - with an attack that catapulted Wolborg out of the arena. Kai was sure that if his team captain hadn't been weakened, he could have dodged it. But the electric field at the edge of the bowl was his undoing.  
The spectators were not exactly gracious to this victory. The PPB had been struggling with verbal abuse since the beginning of the tournament, and Rick was solely to blame, but today it seemed particularly bad. Even Kai's loud announcement earlier seemed completely forgotten after this second battle.  
When they met between matches, Yuriy's exhaustion was as visible in his face as his shock about this rapid defeat. "Shit," he murmured. In the background, Rick stood on the podium and grinned arrogantly. Kai turned away from him to look at Yuriy. "I'll do that," he said. Yuriy remained silent for a while, maybe he tried to read in his facial expressions. "No direct attacks," he said then and Kai nodded.  
He was already about to continue his way to Rick when he felt the other's hand on his shoulder once more. "Kai." Their eyes met again. "Davai!" said Yuriy, grinning faintly. Kai scoffed while the audience started to cheer them on.  
His opponent, however, was furious. It was this anger that made Rick strong. Kai knew that compared to Rock Bison, Dranzer was inferior in strength. He was also tired - so damn tired after the last few days - and his mind was all over the place. Not exactly the best conditions. His face felt cramped, even though he was sure he seemed implacable, as always.  
As expected, Rick went straight at him. Rock Bison stormed forward, but Dranzer swerved to the side to avoid him. This only incited Rick further. Kai looked him straight in the face as their blades clashed. He did not have to see what was going on in the arena. Rock Bison was loud and heavy. Again, it went on the attack, and now Dranzer had to take it - his blade bounced off the edge of the bowl and shot back at its opponent. It was Max's technique, simple yet efficient. The crowd had probably recognised it too, because the shouting increased. Well, nobody could say he wasn't capable of learning...  
When his opponent wanted to pounce on him again, Kai bent forward ever so slightly. Dranzer reflected this movement and Rock Bison was hurled upwards as if on a ramp - directly into the electric field between the bull horns of the arena. This was accompanied by an outcry from the fans, which rattled in Kai's ears. A grin almost crept up on his lips. He began to like how he could control the masses like this. After all, a big part of beyblading was simply showing off.  
But Rick did not give in so easily. With sheer force, his blade tore itself away from the electricity. Kai was impressed, but he had almost expected something like that. Rock Bison collided with Dranzer and catapulted it off its track. While the blades were still falling down, Rick started his Drop Rock. It was the moment Kai had been waiting for.  
He knew the Blazing Gig was too weak against the Drop Rock. A direct counter would not do him any good. But if he hit his opponent at a certain angle...  
Suzaku spread her wings. She knew what to do. With every fight their connection became stronger, and it was as if she was reacting to his mere thoughts. Kai's eyes sharpened and his opponent's movements seemed to slow down while he could perceive every detail. On his command, Suzaku shot off to execute the Blazing Gig Zan, which split Rick's attack in two. Rock Bison got off course and fell like a stone from the air. It came to rest outside the bowl, while Dranzer intercepted and converted the momentum into speed.  
It seemed impossible for the volume in the stadium to increase again after this victory. The applause resonated in Kai's ears and it took him some effort to stay calm. Only slowly did his senses return to their normal level. A burning heat remained from Suzaku as always, pressing against his ribs. He caught Dranzer and turned around, "A fitting stage for a bullfight," he murmured.  
Yuriy was still standing where he had left him. He looked up at him and Kai looked back. Then he thought he recognized a barely noticeable smile on his leader's face.  
Suzaku left his chest and settled in his stomach, spreading her heat there, and this feeling was almost endurable. 

They didn't say another word about Yuriy's defeat, but Kai knew that the next day would see an even harder training than before. Yuriy recovered from his migraine almost as quickly as it had come. He was getting better by the minute. If they had played their match a day later, they probably wouldn't have needed a deciding battle. But it didn't matter now, they had won.  
They spent their last evening in Madrid in front of the television. After the last few days they had little desire to stroll around or even lay eyes upon other people at all. Boris and Sergeij, on the other hand, had actually decided to explore the city while they were here.  
They sat next to each other on the sofa, their feet on the coffee table, and watched some random documentary in English. Kai tried to focus on what was going on on the tv screen but kept digressing. He felt drained, emotionally more than physically. The last days had taken their toll more so than anything that had happened since he had left Japan. And he suspected that the matches would only get harder from now on. He blinked sluggishly, almost not noticing how his head was sinking on his chest until his body winced instinctively. The picture on the television became clear again.  
"You can rest on me if you want to," Yuriy said softly. It seemed as if he hadn't spoken to him at all, because he was still looking straight ahead. Kai hesitated, wondered what exactly these words were supposed to mean, and then got angry with himself. Slowly he leaned on Yuriy's shoulder. They were close enough for Kai to be able to smell the laundry detergent in his shirt. And the shower gel in his hair. And his skin. He allowed his eyes to fall shut.  
All I’m saying is, he’s just your type. Suddenly, these words came back to him. Who had said that, Max? Well, anyway, it was nice to be close to Yuriy. Touching him. He had been thinking that a lot lately, and just as often he had rejected those thoughts immediately because they were absolutely out of place. Kai had no intention of being distracted by anything during the tournament. He just wanted to concentrate on blading and finally win the title. That had been his sole reason for switching teams in the first place! Never had he intended for his knees to feel wobbly when Yuriy smiled at him or when he winked at him mockingly with his oh-so-blue eyes. But neither had he expected that he would end up nestled against him on a couch.  
Kai blinked in confusion as Yuriy moved away from him again. But before he could secretly regret that the moment between them was over, Yuriy's arm wrapped around his shoulders. His hand briefly stroked Kai's skin, gently but surely. He felt heat in his stomach, and this time, Suzaku had nothing to do with it.  
At that moment, Kai didn't know if he could rely on anything he perceived at all, or if all of his senses were playing tricks on him simultaneously. Maybe Yuriy was just trying to be friendly?! But then Kai felt his fingertips on his upper arm again and for a second his mind went blank. And then Yuriy leaned his head against his.  
He should say something. He should make it clear to Yuriy that it made him feel insecure when they treated each other like that. After all, his team captain knew that he liked men, and therefore he could easily misinterpret...whatever was going on here. Or maybe the other one did know exactly what was going on?  
He took his feet off the table and sat up, determined to find a reason to leave the sofa. Anything was better than getting into anything here. He opened his mouth to an excuse when Yuriy simply said, "Stay.” This word did not miss its mark. Whatever he wanted to do, even the thought of it was gone. His pulse drowned out almost all sounds.  
Yuriy now leaned forward and came to his eye level. They sat very close together, their knees touched, they looked at each other. If there had been a vague chance before to look at the situation purely in terms of friendship, it was destroyed at that very moment. Because Yuriy reached out his hand and put it on Kai’s. And he allowed that. In his head, everything was in a fog anyway. He looked at Yuriy's face, which radiated a peculiar serenity. That beautiful face.  
Yuriy’s expression changed slightly. He lowered his eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if he wanted to say something. But he remained silent. Kai registered every detail, it felt like time was hardly passing by when Yuriy’s eyelids lifted again and he came even closer to him. Instinctively he leaned in, too. The grip of their hands became tighter and then their lips met. Slowly. Curiously. Extensively.

The first thing Kai thought when he opened his eyes the next morning was - what a strange dream that had been. Yuriy’s mouth on his. That had felt damn real and damn good.  
Then he came to his senses just enough to understand that it had really happened. They had kissed. Frozen, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.  
Shit.  
Slowly he turned his head and peered over to the other bed. Yuriy still seemed to be asleep, for he had turned his face away from him and was not moving. Good. So he had some time to pull himself together.  
After the kiss they hadn't said much. Kai's head had been empty, so he had just let Yuriy trace the contours of his face with his fingers and look at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. At some point, he had managed to stand up. He had taken Yuriy's hand and pulled him up. Had craned his neck to kiss him again lightly, then, as if in silent agreement, they had gone to their beds.  
And now he got up as quietly as possible and crept into the bathroom. He wanted to be prepared when Yuriy woke up, somehow, anyway. He slapped cold water in his face so as not to stare at his own reflection in the mirror.  
He had always hoped to avoid situations like this. Yuriy was his leader, his tag team partner. They had joined forces for this tournament because it suited them both, and the fact that they got along much better than they had dared to hope was a small luxury that made their lives easier. Nothing more!  
Yuriy was an unlikely thought, a fantasy perhaps, but not a serious option.  
Was he?  
Well, there was no denying what had happened. Yesterday, Kai's inner barriers had simply collapsed from one second to the next. So it was impossible now to just pretend that this was none of his business and go on with his life. Besides, he was sure that Yuriy had not only done this to find out what it was like to kiss a man. He would never jeopardize their cooperation, which he held in such high esteem, for something like that. Which meant that…  
Finally, Kai looked up at himself in the mirror. A few drops of water ran down his chin, but he didn't notice any of that. His expression fluctuated somewhere between astonishment and disbelief. "Holy shit", he murmured. He did not dare to form a conclusion in his mind.  
A soft knock made him startle and turn his head. "Kai?" That was Yuriy's voice on the other side of the door. "Please tell me you're not drowning yourself in there." He had left the water running. "N-No. I’m okay," he answered. He quickly turned off the tap and finally reached for a towel to dry his face. Then he took another deep breath and left the bathroom.  
Yuriy stood by the window. He was still dishevelled from sleeping, but otherwise seemed very awake and...nervous?  
Kai closed the door and leaned against it.  
They stared at each other silently.  
"And now?", Kai asked.  
"Well..." Yuriy started. But it was already too late. Kai pushed himself off the door, took two or three steps towards the redhead, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into another kiss. He felt the cool hands on his face, in his hair, then wrapped his arms around Yuriy's waist. They almost lost their balance. Now and then they separated to gasp for air, but their lips collided again and again. It seemed impossible to stop. At some point, Kai felt the bathroom door in his back again, and finally the floor beneath his feet became solid. Yuriy must have noticed that there was not enough room between them because he stood back a little. And so they had to break away.  
"Well", Kai said hoarsely, "What were you going to say?”


	6. Cairo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you lovely people who commented thus far - I love you. I didn't directly react to comments before and it feels strange to start now. But I see you and you make me very happy. Sames goes for Kudos! You're making this impossible year bearable <3

Neo Borg vs. Barthez Soldiers  
Baihuzu vs. PPB All Starz  
BBA Revolution vs F-Sangre

"You want what?" Boris looked at him as if he had lost his mind and Kai rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You've heard me."  
"But that's impossible!"  
"It's not and you know it." He took advantage of the other’s surprise and unceremoniously pushed him back into his room so they could finally close the door and talk without being disturbed. Boris made a disparaging noise, but it was clear that he already was starting to think about what Kai had just said. Perhaps Kai had indeed succeeded in awakening his ambition.  
Boris was a true master when it came to individualising Beyblade parts. He had an incredibly detailed knowledge of physics and chemistry that he was constantly expanding. Only Boris managed to grind an attack ring just thin enough to make it razor-sharp without breaking at the first touch. Boris knew mixing ratios for alloys that made a blade resistant or so smooth that any attacker would simply slip off. It was thanks to him that Yuriy's Wolborg, although an endurance blade, could still perform strong and agile attacks without losing energy.  
To make a long story short: Kai needed Boris' help.  
"You are completely crazy, Hiwatari," he said at that moment, "It is physically impossible to activate the spin gear twice. Even you should know that."  
"I don't want to activate it twice", Kai replied and went to the table where he sat down. He pointed to the second chair. "Sit down and I will explain it to you."  
He had been thinking about the possibilities since spin gears had become a standard component of their blades. They were essential for producing particularly powerful special attacks. The only drawback was that they were limited to a single special attack per fight - the turbo could not be recharged. Of course they could attack without it, but it took away much of their potential power. Kai knew that Yuriy, for example, could easily perform two Novae Rogues in a row, but what was the point of doing so if the second one was only enough for a small retaliation? Many bladers therefore tried to withhold their strongest attacks, using them only in an emergency. This was possible as long as the battles were short. But they continued to advance in the tournament, and the stronger their opponents became, the longer it would take to bring them to their knees. In the not too distant future, Kai would have to use his entire repertoire of strategies, as they would face Baihuzu and, if fate played along, again the BBA Revolution. And besides, since the match against Max, a thought was running through his head that he could not get rid of. A new attack, powerful enough to take on Kinomiya. More powerful than the Blazing Gig Tempest, which he had so far kept just as carefully under lock and key. Kai also knew that he could not develop this new attack without the help of his leader. But he had not found the right moment to approach Yuriy about it yet. When the time came, he would have to persuade him with all he could do.  
Of course he did not tell Boris a single word about what was going on in his head. Boris only needed to know one thing, and that was that Kai wanted the spin gear in his blade to run backwards. But the other one was not stupid, of course. He thought about it for a minute, then it seemed to become clear to him. "Left spin", he muttered and lifted his gaze again from his crossed arms to look at Kai. "Like Dragoon." Kai was sure Boris would give him ten reasons why the plan couldn't work, and finish him off with an insult. Instead, a wolfish grin spread across his face. Ambition glowed in his eyes.  
"You cunning piece of shit, Hiwatari," he said. 

Sergeij could not hide his astonishment when Kai and Boris entered the training room together. It was indeed an unusual sight - after all, they avoided each other whenever possible. "Where is Yuriy?", he asked, but neither of them had an answer. "Wasn’t there a meeting?" Boris suspected. The team managers met almost every other day, not least to find out who was going to compete against whom. Behind the pairings was probably a rather complicated system based more or less on performance and chance. But now that they were in the fourth round of the World Championships, the possible combinations were limited.  
So far they had scored two points. They couldn’t afford to make mistakes if they wanted to reach the final. The bigger the point gap between them and the other teams, the better.  
"Hey", Kai said aloud to attract the attention of his team mates. "You two, against me."  
"Are you serious?", Boris chuckled, "Has your victory over little Maxie gone to your head?"  
Kai snorted.  
"Wins one fight and thinks he's the big guy. Come Sergeij, this is going to be fun."  
Kai went over to the bowl and got ready. He hadn't pushed Boris for nothing: a quick practice match would do him good. "What's taking you so long, are you scared?"  
Boris clicked Falborg on the launcher. "Dream on, Hiwatari. I thought you still needed your Blade."  
"Not too bad if yours gets wrecked, though, Kuznetsov."  
Boris huffed and called for Sergeij once more. The blond man sighed and slowly walked over. But before he had even arrived at Boris' side, the door flew open and Yuriy came rushing into the room, cursing. "That fucking..." He paused when he saw his whole team standing around the arena. "What the hell are you doing?"  
"Hiwatari wants his ass kicked", Boris replied, "We didn't want to miss this opportunity."  
Yuriy looked at Sergeij and Boris for a moment, then he sighed. "Cut the crap, Boris."  
"But Hiwatari has started it!"  
"Get away from the arena, I said!"  
Boris moaned annoyed and pulled his blade from the launcher before dropping onto a bench. Kai had followed the short fight with raised eyebrows and now gave Yuriy a silent signal to make him tell them what was upsetting him so much. His team captain stood next to him and pressed his lips together tightly, so that his mouth was just a grim line.  
"These meetings with Daitenji are a complete waste of time," he finally said.  
"Oooh", Boris said, "Please tell me Miss Judy and that Kinomiya prick were wrestling over who gets the bigger changing room or something!” Even from Sergeij came an consenting sound. But Yuriy just snorted, "You wish. Daitenji tried to address the fact that Rick is an asshole. Miss Judy pretends to feel sorry for Rick's behaviour, but she is a hypocrite and a bad actress. It's almost funny." By now, most people called Max's mother just Miss Judy, and that wasn't always meant politely. "Kinomiya acts as if he owns the entire BBA and Daitenji breaks out in a sweat whenever anyone speaks up. But the worst of them all is - Barthez." The name sounded like a dark rumble.  
"What did he do?" Boris asked, since Yuriy didn't say more. It also took quite a while before he got an answer. "He waited for me after the meeting just to insult me," Yuriy then said.  
"But why?"  
"We're going up against Barthez Soldiers next. He just wanted to torment me. But the bad thing is - he succeeded."  
"Kudos to him", Sergeij said and Kai wondered what on earth the old man had said. Yuriy was not easy to tease, although even his patience began to wear thin under the constant stress of the tournament. He was at the same time their captain, coach, and a member of the tag team. No other team had a constellation like that. And they didn’t trust Barthez anyway. Not since they had seen the first fight of his team. For a moment Kai thought of Miguel, who could be a serious blader if he got rid of his shady manager.  
He gestured towards the arena invitingly. "It's all yours." Maybe that would help Yuriy calm down. And indeed, the other one smiled at him briefly, causing Kai's gaze to linger on his mouth for a bit too long. Since Madrid, there was a whole new kind of attraction between them, and he regularly caught himself drifting away at completely inappropriate moments. They had kissed again, a few more times actually, just enough for him to remember each and every one of those kisses. It just happened, and neither of them really questioned it. Just last night in their room, they had almost lost track of time because they had been...occupied. Because kissing Yuriy didn’t get boring, not even after several minutes.  
Somebody coughed behind them. Kai blinked as he came to his senses and turned to the door. There stood Kyoujyu, his laptop pressed against his chest and obviously intimidated by the four pairs of eyes looking at him. He let out a frightened sound, but then he pulled himself together and stuttered away: "I really didn't want to disturb you - hi Kai, by the way, good to see you again... Anyway, please don't think that I'm spying on you, I just wanted to talk to you because of Barthez Soldiers, I mean because you're...".  
"Kyoujyu", Kai interrupted him, "Breathe." The boy gasped, trembling. "Now you come in, close the door behind you and sit down." It took a while until Kyoujyu found the courage to enter a closed room with Neo Borg. He anxiously glanced at Yuriy, but could not look him in the eye for more than a second, which caused the redhead to grin in a way that could not be registered by the younger one. Only when they sat down as well, and probably did not look so huge anymore, did Kyoujyu calm down.  
"So", he started again, "I'm here because of Barthez Soldiers. We already met Baihuzu and the PPB All Starz in Madrid. Originally, we wanted to invite you too, but you were not in your rooms."  
"We were in the city," Boris said curtly, but gave Kai and Yuriy a confused look. Kai returned this expressionlessly. A question went through his mind: Hadn't there been voices outside their door when they had - ?  
"What about Barthez Soldiers?" Yuriy asked.  
"Yes, right!" Kyouyju opened the laptop and turned it around so they could see the screen. He played a video showing two beyblades circling each other. "This is the match between Baihuzu and Barthez Soldiers," Kyoujyu explained. He did not have to say much more. The slow motion clearly showed the hooks that shot out of Miguel's blade and hit Driger before he had even reached Death Gargoyle.  
"Hm," Yuriy went, "So that's how they did it." Kai growled.  
"You knew they were cheating?" Kyoujyu said, "Why didn't you ever say anything?  
"We were not sure. And you defeated them, didn't you? So why do you care?"  
Kyouyju closed the laptop again. He seemed thoughtful, maybe he was even annoyed by Yuriy's words. "We consulted with the other teams about how to proceed. It makes no sense to exclude Barthez Soldiers from the tournament. It would mean a repeat of all the matches so far. Nevertheless, we wanted to warn you because you will be playing against them next."  
"Thank you, Kyouyju," said Kai, cutting off Boris, who had opened his mouth, probably to make a mocking remark, "You have confirmed our suspicions. We have no intention of letting Barthez fool us."  
"Good." The smaller one jumped up, obviously happy to have delivered his message. "That's pretty much it. That is, actually..." He looked at Kai. "Maybe you should know that Takao..."  
"What's with Kinomiya?"  
"Oh, nothing - nothing!" He withdrew too quickly. "Kai...Yuriy...It was nice talking to you again..." And with that, the door behind him fell shut. Now his team mates turned to Kai, curiously. "What the hell was that about?", Boris asked. He just raised his shoulders. 

Yuriy walked up and down the room, looking for something. The curtains were open. From their room they could see the city, and further away on the horizon was the desert. The sun began to set. While Yuriy was rummaging around, Kai lay on one of the beds and tried to read.  
"I have a feeling we'll do better when I play the first match," said Yuriy, who was going through his travel bag at that moment. "Every time you went first, we played worse. So I'll start tomorrow."  
"Okay," Kai muttered. Yuriy straightened up and put a piece of clothing to the side. "Do you mind if I take on Miguel?" he asked.  
"Huh?" Now Kai looked up, just in time to watch the other one pull his shirt over his head. His eyebrows twitched upwards and he allowed himself to stare a bit longer. When Yuriy noticed that, he threw his shirt at him. "So what do you say?"  
Kai sat up and crossed his arms. "You'll have to decide," he said, "Either you want to fight first or you want to fight Miguel. Nobody can promise you that both will work out. To be honest, I'd like to go against Miguel myself."  
"that's what I thought, and that's why I'm asking."  
"You're not usually so picky about your opponents," Kai noted, "Why do you insist on it now?"  
Yuriy remained silent. He was still standing there half-naked: tall, slim; strong arms; long, dark lashes, highlighted by the sun. Kai would have liked to enjoy this sight a bit longer. But then the other one sighed and reached for a new shirt to put it on. "You're probably right," he said, "It doesn't matter; you can have him.”  
"Hm", Kai huffed, because he was not convinced by these words. "There is something else." The redhead paused and gave him a wry grin as he slowly walked towards him. He sat down beside him on the edge of the bed and looked at him from the side. "It's nothing, Kai. I just want to hand them their cheating asses. And maybe I want to make Barthez cry a little. Besides, I'm not the only one with secrets here, am I?" Kai frowned and Yuriy bent over to him a bit. An intimidating gesture, at least for most people. "What are you and Boris up to, huh? You think I don't know that he designs beyblade parts for you?"  
Kai averted his gaze and boredly leafed through his book. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"  
"That's what Boris said. He won't tell me anything until he's sure this thing, whatever it is, will work at all."  
"Well, then I guess you'll just have to be patient."  
"I don't like things happening behind my back on this team." Yuriy raised one hand to brush a strand of hair from Kai’s forehead. "But I'll let you get away with it if you win against Miguel. After all, you're..." The cold fingers wandered down his cheek, wrapped around his chin, and Yuriy lowered his voice until it was just a whisper "...my strongest blader." Kai allowed his head to be pulled around so they looked at each other. There were few people who dared to face him in such a challenging way and even fewer who he did not immediately put in their place for it. The playful provocation between them made his pulse quicken. His lack of resistance seemed to please Yuriy, too, as the corners of his mouth lifted a little. "So tomorrow, you go to the arena and fight well for me, understand?" He supported his words with a firm grip, and Kai delighted in his glowing eyes. Then he winked at him. "Aye, Captain."  
But still Yuriy did not let go of him. "It's funny," he said, "I really didn't know what was going on with you. Even on the damn sofa, I thought you were gonna run away from me."  
"Funny you should say that," mumbled Kai, "I didn't even know if I was even an option for you."  
"You never asked."  
"Touché."  
That evening in Madrid had been just two days ago - there was hardly enough time to understand what was going on between them. Or rather, whether something was happening at all. Kai's mind was occupied with so many other things at the moment, not least the matches that lay ahead. In order for them to advance in the championships, he needed the knowledge of his leader. And Yuriy in turn needed him to achieve his goal - whatever that goal was. Kai simply had no energy to think long and hard about how to interpret his relationship with Yuriy. He liked it, this new aspect, he knew that much. And as long as their performance in the tournament was not affected by it, everything was fine.  
Yuriy pulled him closer. Immediately their lips met for a kiss that promised to last a while. Kai finally took Yuriy's hand away from his chin, only to reach up for the red hair. He pulled slightly so that Yuriy had to put his head back and he could kiss his neck. He was rewarded with a pleased sigh. His fingers ran through Yuriy's mane.  
"Kai, don’t do that, my hair...Argh...You...suck..." That sounded half as convincing as it could be. He was just about to tighten his grip when Yuriy stiffened. "Is that your phone?" Kai straightened up and turned his head. "No," he said, listening to the ringtone, "that's yours."  
Suddenly, Yuriy pushed him away so that he landed backwards on the mattress. "Shit!" Yuriy jumped up, "The press conference! I totally forgot about that!" 

"I can't stand that ugly face any more," Boris rumbled the next morning. He peered past Yuriy's head to the next table where Barthez Soldiers were sitting. It seemed as if the mood over there was rather gloomy. Everyone seemed absorbed in their own thoughts and Barthez sat at the end of the table like a vulture over the prey.  
"Oh please", Kai said, "aren’t you used to your own reflection?”  
"Shut up, Hiwatari."  
"Are you trying to provoke me, Kuznetsov?"  
"Stop it," Yuriy intervened, but he didn't even bother to raise his voice.  
"I'm just helping Hiwatari get in the mood for battle, Yura."  
"I don't need cheerleaders!"  
"Just shut up, will you?! Both of you." Yuriy sighed and started massaging his temples. Kai and Boris gave each other a surprised look, but neither of them knew why their leader was so tense today. Kai could not explain why he should get nervous before the match against Barthez Soldiers of all things. The only capable Blader in this team was Miguel, and even he was way behind, compared to people like Max and Rick or Rei and Lai. In his battle against Kinomiya he had shown some nice moves that revealed much more about his potential than all previous rounds combined. Nevertheless, while Barthez had constantly incited the team to cheat, he had been completely left behind by everyone else - and the rest of his team even more so.  
For Kai, he was interesting because his Death Gargoyle was a fire bit beast. He usually didn’t take much interest in new bladers. Unlike Kinomiya with his Beyblade class, he never thought about passing on his knowledge at some point. With Miguel, however, he thought that if he told him a few tricks here and there, the blond could go places eventually.  
But first he had to be shown who was the Mistress of Fire, and that was undeniably his Suzaku.  
"Privjet!"  
Their eyes lifted, because nobody of Neo Borg had spoken. It was Max who had come over to them, accompanied by Emily. Boris frowned disapprovingly, but Kai ignored him and offered the Americans a seat. Max, however, only put his hands in his pockets and smiled down at them. "I was hoping to kidnap you for a moment, Kai," he said, "and Emily wanted to ask you out."  
"What? Max!", Emily shouted angrily and took a breath to explain herself. "Boris. It is you I want to talk to." He crossed his arms cautiously. "I need the recipe for your alloy."  
"Why should I give it to you? So the PPB can use it against us if you get into the final?"  
"I don't want it until after the tournament, stupid! They say you're the best tuner here and our alloys are all crap."  
"Wow." Boris now leaned forward, "Can you say that a little louder? The PPB admits they fail at something?"  
Emily snorted contemptuously. "That doesn't mean your recipe is any better than ours. I just want comparative data."  
"Sweetheart," Boris said, "look at Wolborg. The best blade I've ever developed. And even Hiwatari uses my parts now. Believe me, I know what I'm doing."  
"There you go. What now?"  
"You can have my old recipe, it's not too bad..."  
The conversation went on, but at that moment Max nudged Kai’s shoulder and nodded in the direction of the exit. Kai turned to Yuriy and looked at him questioningly, whereupon his leader made a fleeting gesture. "We will stay here for a little longer. I think I need another coffee." With these words he rose. Kai did the same, and while Yuriy strolled over to the coffee machine, he followed Max.  
Max pulled two cans of soda out of the machine, then they sat outside in the shade of a palm tree. "Barthez Soldiers...", he said and caught a side glance from Kai. "You know about everything? Have you seen the video that Kyoujyu made?"  
"Yes", Kai said, "He even came to us personally. But I don't know if it will do any good. Kinomiya really shook them up in Madrid."  
"Do you think they'll change tactics?"  
Kai raised his shoulders. "It could be, couldn't it? I just hope Miguel will still run. Everyone else on that team is useless."  
"Too many technical blunders," Max said nodding, "Too inexperienced. With fair play they wouldn't stand a chance."  
"But they are the fan favorites," said Kai and pointed to the entrance of the stadium, which was within their sight. A colourful crowd was already gathered there. "Are they cosplayers?" Max just giggled in disbelief and took a sip of his drink. Kai glanced at him again. The blond might looked and acted normal, but something was going on. "You haven't slept enough," he noted.  
"I haven't slept enough in days," Max replied, his smile almost disappearing completely. "It's pretty tough this year. Have I ever thanked you for telling people to shut up at our match?"  
"You didn't, but a coffee would be nice," Kai said and earned himself a light punch against the upper arm. Again he let his eyes wander towards the cosplayers. Barthez Soldiers were, admittedly with more than a little help from Rick, to blame for the American team's bad reputation. As soon as the PPB entered the stadium, they were verbally ripped apart by the fans. This of course had gotten under Max’s skin. Kai remembered the atmosphere of pure hostility that had overshadowed their match. After two nights spent awake because of Yuriy's breakdown, he had not been able to tolerate a tough crowd on top of everything. (Later, Boris had said that he had quite an impressive volume for someone who spoke so little.)  
Max started to move nervously, thus getting back his attention. He had guessed that his former teammate didn't just want to chat a little. Something was in the air.  
"Did Kyoujyu mention that we met up with Baihuzu and the BBA Revolution in Madrid?" Max finally asked. Kai just nodded.  
"Okay, so... Some ugly things came up at that meeting."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, it was about Yuriy and the others. And Volkov.”  
Kai turned to him. "But that is no secret." After all, the teams that had been in the first championship knew what had happened.  
"Yes, but nobody is going to shout it from the rooftops," Max said, "The thing is, Kai - Rick went crazy when he heard the story. He seems to be convinced that something is wrong with your team. I mean, his ego also got scratched when he lost to you. But I don't know if he's not getting a little too worked up."  
Kai frowned. Maybe Max didn't want to say it directly, but he just warned him explicitly about his own tag team partner. "Are you sure you can handle this guy?" he asked, but Max just gestured tiredly. "Yes yes. Don't worry about me. You better take care of your own team."  
"Oh, we already know how to defend ourselves. Did you talk to Rei or Kinomiya again?"  
Max shook his head. "I bumped into Hiromi a few times, but we just did a little bit of small talk." Kai hummed. Then it really wasn't just his perception of things. It had become quiet between the former Bladebreakers. Kinomiya, of all people, had withdrawn himself from their group. Was he still offended by their separation? That Rei didn't want any contact was somehow understandable. His ambition was obvious. One was almost willing to tell him to calm down so that he wouldn't get in his own way.  
"We'll compete against Baihuzu next," Max said quietly.  
"I won't miss that."  
"Yes. I just hope that Rick behaves himself..."  
Kai did not reply. Max did not need any tips and Kai was not sure if he could give good advice in this situation anyway. Their way of solving problems was fundamentally different. So they kept quiet in unison and emptied their drinks.  
After a while Max raised his arms above his head, stretched out and sighed. "Okay, enough moping!" he said resolutely, "Tell me something positive, Kai!  
"Excuse me, what?"  
"Come on, I need some good vibes. How are things with Yuriy? Please don't tell me you're still pining for him from afar!"  
"I'm not pining!" Kai replied indignantly.  
"Don't wander off topic. Do you think I didn't notice that you asked for his permission to go with me? I mean, you, of all people! Kai - I come and go when I want - Hiwatari! He's got a handle on you, dude!" Max laughed as Kai gave him a mean look. "Don't look at me like that now. I do believe you'd have a chance with him. Don't you think he might be interested?"  
"Hmm", Kai hummed vaguely and tried to repress a grin. 

When they returned to the dining room, Emily had already gone back to the PPB All Starz and Neo Borg was sitting bent over their respective tasks. Kai said goodbye to Max and was about to reunite with his team when Barthez got up from his chair. With a few steps he had reached the Russians and was now leaning on the table with one hand so they couldn't ignore him. Kai raised his eyebrows, then hurried over.  
"...might need it," he heard Barthez say as he arrived. His voice was lowered, but razor sharp. "Your performances have suffered a little, after all. But with such worn-out beybladers like you, that's not really surprising."  
Kai couldn't help but stare at Barthez, stunned, just like pretty much everyone else gathered in the room. They hadn't heard him, but surely wondered what he was up to with Neo Borg just before the match. Kai, for one, did not understand. The faces of his team members were petrified. Boris' hands had clawed around the edge of the table and Sergeij was disconcertingly pale.  
Barthez ignored all of them and laughed artificially. "Well, I can understand it. You also lack the hand that guides you..." Upon these words, Boris' eyes widened. Kai was about to reach for his arm as he was convinced that the other one would pounce on Barthez the next moment. But a far more menacing movement took place on his other side: Yuriy rose, and although he seemed calm on the outside, an aura of rage surrounded him.  
"Barthez,” he said, lowering his voice, “Get out.”  
"Now, now. I just want to talk... Yuriy." But the look on his face clearly showed that there was more to it than that. At the edge of his field of vision, Kai noticed Judy and Hitoshi approaching. Yuriy’s attitude towards the adult probably had startled them. Why did his leader let the old man provoke him like that?  
"Come on. You have to admit, you've had better tournaments," Barthez continued, "As a beyblader, you have clearly passed the high point of your career. It's good that you bought Hiwatari, isn't it? Your other two team members here...well." He cast a pitiful glance at Boris and Sergeij, "You won't be able to keep up for long anyway.”  
"What did you say?" Yuriy's voice was barely audible and had taken on a sound that alarmed Kai to the utmost.  
"Oh come on, Yuriy, face the facts: without a little...support you're lost here!"  
Before anyone could have done anything, Yuriy had grabbed Barthez by the collar. The old man might have been of broader build, but Yuriy towered over him and contrary to what Barthez had just claimed, he seemed much stronger at that moment. "Leave my team out of this," the redhead hissed.  
It seemed as if he would simply strike in the next few seconds. And everyone watched, and everyone was as shocked as Kai. This could cost them the championship. At that moment everything became clear to him: This was exactly Barthez' plan. If Yuriy turned to violence, that was a good reason to disqualify them. It was proof enough that nothing had changed since Borg.  
Kai exchanged a look with Boris, who, with a short hand signal, told him to hold back. Probably he had also realised what was going on. And for once Kai listened to him. Judy and Hitoshi had approached them by now. "Yuriy, we cannot tolerate a fight here", Hitoshi said, "Such behaviour will have consequences.”  
"Shut up," hissed Boris and it was his luck that he had spoken Russian. Their short exchange did not seem to reach Yuriy at all. His knuckles were white and if one looked very closely one could see his hands shaking. Hitoshi now looked at Kai and opened his mouth, but he cut off the word: "Shut up.”  
Now Sergeij moved. He went over to the adults and stood very close to Hitoshi, who seemed irritated at first and then a little intimidated. Sergeij gave Boris and Kai a barely perceptible nod.  
"Yuriy," Boris said quietly. They stood so close behind him that they could have touched him, but neither Kai nor Boris dared to reach out their hand. They took another look at each other and Kai was not sure what Boris wanted from him: That he would also talk to their leader or grab him from behind, should he lose his temper?  
"Stay out of it," Yuriy replied.  
"No, I will not," Boris continued. One seldom heard him speak in such a calm way. He seemed to pay attention to his every word. "Remember, Yuriy, you are our team leader. You are acting irresponsibly. If you beat him up, we'll be disqualified."  
Yuriy exhaled.  
"Stop it, it's no use," Kai now said and tried to strike the same tone as Boris. And indeed, both their voices seemed to finally bring the redhead to his senses. Kai watched as his shoulders relaxed and his hands unclenched. Finally, Barthez could stand up again. He fiddled around with his collar and tried to look arrogant but his facial expressions clearly showed that Yuriy had made him nervous despite everything. Their team captain, on the other hand, scornfully breathed out once more and turned away, took another quick glance at his team and then walked past them towards the exit. All eyes were on him and flew back to Kai and the others when he was gone.  
"You rotten piece of shit!" Boris hissed in Russian and rushed towards Barthez but was stopped by Sergeij who grabbed him by the shoulder. Barthez bent slightly backwards as if to avoid him and grinned again. More than ever, it seemed like a mask. Only now did Kai notice Miguel and the others, who had lined up behind their coach, pure shock on their faces. He approached Barthez once more. "You have no idea how lucky you just were," he said before turning around and following Yuriy. "Wait, stay here! Leave him alone," Boris called after him, but he didn't pay any attention to him.  
He found Yuriy in their room, where he was sitting with his back against the wall, his legs pulled towards his body. "Everything okay?" Kai asked awkwardly and Yuriy nodded. "Thanks," he said, "I would have beaten him up if you hadn't intervened." Kai made a nimble movement with his shoulders and scrutinized his team captain. Yuriy was still tense, his gaze wandered around aimlessly and then clung to Kai. Didn't want to let go of his face. Kai could not close his eyes to Yuriy’s.  
"I almost lost my temper," said the redhead, "Ironic, isn't it? Freaking out at a wrong remark about the Abbey, of all things. That hasn't happened to me... in a long time. Not even in Irkutsk when we were fighting." He couldn't keep his hands still. Even though his arms were crossed, his fingers kept crawling over his jumper. They still seemed to tremble.  
"He deliberately provoked you", Kai explained, "From the very beginning he was betting on us being disqualified. As always, it was just a lousy trick - and you didn't fall for it."  
"Because you guys were there, Kai," Yuriy replied, "What if you hadn't been there? Or if I had attacked you instead? If I had hit Boris? Or you? You don't understand how it is. Sometimes my body is stronger than my mind. That's how deep the Abbey is inside me."  
"But you don't go after Boris. He is your best friend", Kai interrupted, "And I... You only hit me once in Irkutsk, even though I act like an asshole all the time.”  
Yuriy snorted and leaned his head back against the wall. All of a sudden he looked very exhausted. "This World Cup brings out all the bad in us. First the migraine...now this..." Kai wasn't sure if he should sit next to him, so he stayed where he was. "That's not true," he said, "We play fair. And everyone knows it. We are not the ones cheating. Yuriy, you are captain of a world championship team. And our manager. And an active player. And you're doing a damn good job." But this rather awkward motivational speech seemed to bounce off his leader. From somewhere, Yuriy pulled a pack of cigarettes and started to take one out, but his fingers were shaking.  
"Not here," Kai said and stepped forward to grab him by the upper arm. "Let's go outside." He pointed to the balcony door and gently pushed him in that direction. "I'll need something stronger soon...", Yuriy muttered, but Kai ignored it. Outside, he took the cigarettes from Yuriy’s hands, pulled one out of the pack and slipped it between his lips before lighting it for him. "Thank you," the redhead mumbled and took a deep puff. Kai leaned against the balcony railing with folded arms. For the first time he noticed how much the hotel rooms resembled each other. In his memories, the last days merged together into a diffuse stream of events. The championship fights had passed him by, because so much more had happened outside the arena. And yet it was the matches that exhausted him the most.  
"Why do you hate Barthez so?" he asked, "Why him, of all people?”  
"Why are you so interested in Miguel?" Yuriy replied. "They are assholes who can only play if they cheat. They do not deserve our recognition."  
"Hm. I think Kinomiya woke them up," Kai said, referring to the match in Madrid.  
"Which does not mean that we can rely on fair play tomorrow!"  
"All right. Do you feel better now?" Kai asked, but he could already see that Yuriy seemed to be able to relax a bit. The tiredness was still there, but it didn't gnaw on him anymore. "You should sleep a little more before we leave.”  
"Yes, Mom."  
Kai grinned crookedly. "Trust me, I have years of team-leading experience. With Kinomiya, naps have always worked wonders." 

Aaron had no chance against Yuriy. The aggression that surrounded the redhead that day had not abated until their match. On the contrary, when DJ made a sloppy commentary on his two lost matches, it seemed to only make things worse. Boris drew a sharp breath at the comment and even Sergeij moaned. "Someday someone will kill him for his big mouth," mumbled Boris and Kai could only nod. On any other day, Yuriy would probably have passed something like that by, but today his patience was worn thin.  
Luckily, he could rage himself out in the arena. Kai, who assumed that someone like Aaron was vastly inferior to his leader, was not watching the battle, but the opposing team. Of course Barthez had cooked up something again. And why didn't he let Miguel compete? Kai had a similar feeling of insult as he did when fighting the BBA Revolution in Rome. Again, some sneaky asshole tried to stop him from playing a good match. Miguel's eyes wandered in his direction and their eyes met. Apparently he was not the only one who did not understand the situation. Well, if that was how it would be today, he would simply wipe the arena with Claude's blade and challenge Miguel as soon as the opportunity presented itself.  
Then there was movement on the other side. Suddenly Barthez seemed upset, almost panicky. Kai focused on the fight again and within seconds he knew what was happening: Aaron was rebelling. Whatever his coach had told him, he did not carry out the plan.  
"Ah, now it's getting interesting," Sergeij said next to him and leaned forward. While the audience seemed to not notice anything of this, Barthez's face distorted angrily. The team, however, became euphoric: Mathilda clenched her fists, Claude's eyes burned into Aaron's back as if he could give him strength and Miguel seemed to have a hard time stopping himself from cheering him on loudly.  
Well, it was a nice symbolic gesture, but Yuriy took no prisoners that day. As soon as the engine gear was charged, he launched the Novae Rog. The attack was far too strong and Kai was surprised that it didn't completely destroy Aaron's blade. There was a moment of silence in the stadium before the crowd erupted in cheers. Barthez Soldiers had quite a few fans here, but Kai now knew that Neo Borg's supporters could be very, very loud.  
When Yuriy came back, for the first time in ages he seemed somewhat happy. "Well, did you leave anything for Kai?" Boris asked, amused. Their leader sat down beside him and crossed his arms. "That was good," he noted.  
Kai stood up. "I'll go and take care of the leftovers." He already heard the first cheers from the ranks. They were calling his name. Since Madrid, their fans must have been really inspired. He wondered if he had to give autographs soon.  
Shortly before he climbed on the podium, he noticed that there was a commotion on the other side. There was a loud argument between Miguel and Barthez. Kai raised his eyebrows. Luck seemed to be on his side today, because suddenly not Claude but Miguel stepped forward to play the match. The stats on the monitors changed accordingly within seconds. Kai expelled the air and could not quite prevent his mouth from widening into a grin. Then they stood facing each other and he saw the determination in Miguel's face. The boy had earned this fight. He would at least give him the chance to show him his special attack. Suzaku now also came to life in him, perhaps she felt the other fire bit beast. She too wanted to show off her powers.  
As soon as they had started their blades, Death Gargoyle shot away. Despite its name, it was a beautiful sight in the blazing sunshine: Its movements were elegant and focused, the red alloy shining, making it look as if it had a comet’s tail. Kai saved his strength and delighted in his opponent a little. Miguel had potential; his blade was well balanced and reacted perfectly to sudden changes of direction, it achieved serious speed and Miguel knew when to slow down to keep his breath. That was something to build on.  
Then he shouted Kai's name, challenging him. He wanted to demonstrate what he could do, even without Barthez. Death Gargoyle burst into flames - there it was, the Fire Execution. Kai narrowed his eyes to see better, but didn't bother to dodge the attack. A firestorm was coming towards him, but compared to Suzaku's energy it was nothing more than a warm breeze. Dranzer was sucked into the fire and perhaps from the outside it looked as if Miguel had made a difference - the shouts of his fans were getting louder anyway.  
Suzaku scorched Kai's inside, which was unpleasant but an almost tender gesture by their standards. She bewitched him, she wanted to be set free. He held her back, just a little more. Sometimes he liked to tease her. "Do you really think those flames can harm my Dranzer?" he asked Miguel, and his opponent flinched. Death Gargoyle's pillar of fire stood between them and it might have looked like Kai was standing on a pyre. "I will show you real fire." And with these words he let Suzaku roam. She let out a triumphant cry as she rose above Dranzer, and her long tail whipped across Kai's torso once - revenge for letting her wait for so long. Then she was blue fire, and even the people on the ranks had to feel this heat. The Blazing Gig descended on Death Gargoyle and catapulted it out of the arena. Kai smelled burning plastic. Apparently, Suzaku had managed to melt the bowl at least partially.  
His fans had erupted in enthusiastic screams and DJ was shouting something, too, as the arena was extinguished by a jet of water. Over the rising steam, Kai could see Miguel's face. He stared at him with his mouth open. He had last seen a similar admiration on Kinomiya’s face years ago, and somehow it moved him. With a swift movement he turned around and caught Dranzer. "That was a good attack," he said over his shoulder before he left the podium.

They both were stumbling when they returned to their room, probably in equal parts from euphoria and exhaustion. After the fight Kai was sweaty, fine sand stuck to his skin. He took off his scarf and sighed in relief. Suzaku burned inside him, she was hard to keep in check after the last match. She probably could have played three more of these rounds, but then Kai would have been badly affected. Her euphoria passed onto him and he was shaky like a flame in the wind, at the same time his body rebelled against her heat. Yuriy's figure stood out darkly before him, for the only light source were the bedside lamps. With a careless gesture, the redhead took his jacket off and threw it on the coat stand. "Go ahead first," he said, nodding in the direction of the bathroom before falling into an armchair. Kai frowned, for his tone of voice had been quite cool, but replied nothing and began to take off his wet clothes.  
"Kai?" He paused and looked at Yuriy. "Why did you give Miguel a compliment after the fight?" his leader asked.  
"Because he deserved it," he replied unmoved and raised his arms to tie up his hair, which he managed only moderately.  
"Hm. He did, didn’t he?"  
"Well, his attack was actually good. You have to admit that. And I was glad that they played fair," he added.  
"But do you have to become his best friend because of that?" mumbled Yuriy. Kai just looked at him wordlessly. "Yuriy, we've just reached the semi-finals. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? - And what's the deal with you and Barthez Soldiers?" he finally asked, "First the old man's act, then you almost destroyed Aaron in your match, even though everyone knew he would never beat you..." He left the sentence unfinished. The other one scrutinised him insistently. "I'm not here to waste my time on sentiments."  
"Oh yeah?", Kai teased, "May I remind you of a certain sentimental moment in Madrid the other day?"  
Yuriy puffed out the air, his eyebrows raised. "As I said elsewhere," he replied mockingly, "I didn't let you in this team because of your pretty face, but your blading skills. As long as you do your job, despite… everything else... we have no problems." He eyed Kai up once more, and suddenly he realised that he had been standing in front of him almost naked for some time now. He carelessly flipped Yuriy off and got a wolfish grin in reply before he finally went into the bathroom. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he was surprised to discover that he had tan lines on his arms. In the strangest places he had bruises, which were largely due to training. Some of the cuts from his fight against the rock in Russia were still not completely healed and stood out brightly on his forearms.  
The water eased the dull pain in his limbs. He kept his eyes closed for a while, even when he felt a whiff of cold air in his back. He turned off the shower and turned around only when he heard Yuriy closing the cabin doors behind him. His partner had also suffered some bruising and scarring, and the sun had made sure that the freckles on his arms and shoulders were clearly visible now. And then he noticed the old scars, thin strokes like the ones he himself wore on his body, hardly visible from a distance. Traces of long gone matches. Kai's gaze slowly wandered up to Yuriy's face, he had to put his head back a little because of the proximity. "Well...?", he said softly. Yuriy took a step forward, his body so cool against Suzaku's heat, he reached past Kai and turned the water back on. "Semi-finals, detka!" he whispered as the first drops collided with their skin. 

Kai stood far above the stands on the roof of the stadium, looking down on the arena, where the BBA Revolution and F Sangre were playing their match. Opposite him was the screen on which the movements of the blades were shown magnified many times over. So he could see everything without having to sit between the fans. There was simply too much hustle and bustle in the spectator area.  
Of course Kinomiya had asked for a four player match after Rei and Max had shown such a great battle the day before. Kai had had his doubts about it at first, because he still couldn't understand why anyone would want to play doubles at all. But when the four of them started to play everyone against everyone else, a whole new dynamic was created. It reminded him of the time before the official tournaments in Japan, when he had roamed through Bakuten with the Shell Killers and there had not been many rules in beybattles yet.  
Kinomiya, however, did not manage to convey this impression in his match. He and Daichi were about to lose down there against the twins - and that was not Daichi's fault. While the smaller one held his own bravely, Dragoon shot through the bowl as if it had been launched by a beginner. As he watched the drama unfold, Kai had all kinds of thoughts running through his head. For example, that the BBA Revolution was indeed a sinking ship and he had done well to switch to Neo Borg - so Kinomiya's performance did not rub off on him either. On the other hand, he became increasingly angry. This was to be his strongest rival, the blader against whom he had been trying to compete for years? That was the person he had taken on all the crap for during the preliminary rounds? Takao Kinomiya - the reason why he was here at all? Because without him the matches, this tournament, the whole sport was worth nothing. He would have stopped blading a long time ago if it weren't for Kinomiya. What he had thrown at Yuriy in Irkutsk was by no means a lie. Kai was tired. He loved the sport, and yet it was the beyblading that had caused his terrible childhood in the Abbey. And he saw his own tiredness reflected in his team. Yuriy, Boris, and Sergeij were also worn-out by the years they had sacrificed to beyblading. They were the oldest team in the tournament by the players’ age, and they had all been beybladers first and foremost for most of their lives. From the beginning Kai had estimated that this might be his last world championship. The last chance to beat Kinomiya.  
The Kinomiya who screwed it up down there just now. From his point of view Kai could see that Rei and Max had jumped up from their seats. They were just as upset. And then the match was over and Dragoon lay in the dust.  
"Pathetic", Kai muttered and turned away from the action. He had to think. And above all, he needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably the most important question - is there sex in the shower? No, there isn't. They're teenagers, they have to figure stuff out first (lol).


	7. Sydney

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter killed me a bit, because it's long and the translator failed for the first half. Yay xD
> 
> Here are the matches, because the text editor won't let me copy/past anymore (why? whyyyy?)
> 
> F Sangre vs. Barthez Soldiers  
> Neo Borg vs. Baihuzu  
> BBA Revolution vs. PPB All Starz

"Kai! Hey Kai, wait up!"  
He didn't recognise the voice calling out to him, but when he turned around he saw the Sports News filming team - which consisted of two guys, Mike and Makoto - waving at him. The two were the only ones to report on Beyblading for KNN. Whenever they needed a commentator of some kind, they brought in DJ, which didn't make the whole thing any more bearable. All bladers who had competed in at least one international tournament knew them personally. And everyone knew that they were worse than paparazzi.  
"Good to see you," Mike said when they caught up with him, and Makoto nodded eagerly.  
"Come on, guys", Kai replied, "Today is our day off, let us have some privacy.”  
So far he had been spared from interviews because Yuriy had actually listened to him and had left the media forms empty. By now he did not even show up for the press conferences anymore. Maybe that was why the two men were so excited to see him. "Do us a favor and lend us ten seconds of your time, Kai, please?”  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which was still a little damp. He had been swimming in the hotel pool first thing, before the other teams would get the same idea. It was Mike’s and Makoto's good fortune that the morning exercise actually made him feel relaxed. Instead of ignoring them, he allowed them to continue speaking.  
"Look, we have this great idea," Mike said, "Even Daitenji-kaichou agreed. We are doing a documentary on Takao Kinomiya! And of course we want his biggest rivals to have their say!" His face showed nothing but pure enthusiasm for the project. "The final sequence will be shot at Uluru. Rei and Max will be there, too!. What do you say? Finally you can show all your fans the truth about your rivalry - on prime time TV!"  
"Great", Kai replied dryly. "When are you going to make a documentary about me? After all, I've been in business a few years longer than Kinomiya." He suppressed a mocking grin when, upon hearing these words, Mike's expression became even more blissful. "Awesome! Picture the headline - The great Kai Hiwatari: now he is speaking his mind!”  
"Yeah, sure, let's do that", Kai said, "Just make sure you get the go from my team captain first.”  
That sobered them up quickly. They both knew that they couldn’t get past Yuriy. He would never let them anywhere near his team, especially with a camera.  
"Maybe you can put in a good word for us," Makoto suggested and Kai just raised his shoulders indefinitely. "We'll see. Now, please excuse me." He pushed past them and took the steps to the hotel entrance. As soon as the glass sliding doors closed behind him, he was engulfed by cool air from the AC.  
Most of the other teams were sitting in the breakfast room. Baihuzu were talking loudly, and Kiki held something in his hand that looked like a brochure for a zoo. The PPB had gathered around Miss Judy's laptop and were probably looking at the data they had collected during the double match. At F Sangre’s table the mood seemed rather gloomy. The siblings were silent. Barthez Soldiers, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed than ever and Kai suspected that this was due in no small part to the absence of their coach. Rumour had it that Barthez had given up everything and had left Miguel in charge, now that it had become unlikely that his team would make it to the final. At first glance, he seemed to get used to his new role quickly. When he saw Kai, he waved at him excitedly - a gesture that remained unresponded. Instead, he suddenly became aware of what he was doing and let his hand sink with an embarrassed look on his face. Kai raised his eyebrows in amusement. He had already noticed that Miguel was somewhat starstruck since their match - and especially after the praise he had received.  
He finally turned his attention to his own teammates, who, as always, were sitting a bit further away. Sergeij was reading the local newspaper to improve his English. Boris bent over a few documents and scribbled down calculations. And Yuriy, who had probably just come back from his morning run, was sipping coffee. The look he gave him told Kai that his team captain had watched his small exchange with Miguel closely. He still wasn't happy about the presence of Barthez Soldiers and Kai still couldn't make any sense of it. After all, they had defeated them very clearly, so what was Yuri's problem? Kai had even considered jealousy - but it seemed impossible that his leader was jealous of someone like Miguel.  
Kai also grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down with the others. "Morning, gentlemen." He wanted to make a pointed remark in Yuriy's direction, but Boris beat him to it. "Hiwatari, give me your blade, I have to make some more adjustments," he said and only briefly looked up from his calculations.  
"Can you do that tonight, instead?", Kai replied, "I need Dranzer now.”  
"Then I'll do Wolborg first. Yuriy?"  
"Fine with me.” With these words, the redhead stood up and took his cup. "I'll bring it over later."  
"Wait", Kai interrupted. Yuriy, about to leave, turned to him again. "Can we train together today?"  
His leader raised an eyebrow. "This is one for the books. Kai Hiwatari asked me for a joint training session..." he said. "Yeah, sure. I'll get us an arena." 

"Well, enlighten me," Yuriy said sixty minutes later when he unlocked one of the training rooms and turned on the lights. "To what do I owe the honour of being asked for a practice date by you?"  
Kai strolled over to the arena, but instead of getting ready for a battle, he sat down on the podium and gestured towards the free space next to him. "Come here, I have to talk to you."  
"You’re breaking up with me already?" Yuriy sounded amused and Kai rolled his eyes. "It’s not about that." The redhead seemed to have become curious because he followed the invitation and sat down. It was the moment Kai had been waiting for a long time. For various reasons he had delayed this conversation again and again, but if they didn't talk about it now, it would be too late. Still, he didn't feel prepared in the least. He could not even guess how his leader would react. Maybe he would reject him, maybe he would become aggressive - maybe it would ruin everything. But Kai could not afford to completely discard his plan. There simply wasn’t a better one.  
"I wanted to ask you a favor", he started and pushed back all doubts. "It's about attacks. You know the Blazing Gig - I mean, everybody knows it. And I think you know as well as I do that this attack is barely strong enough to win matches by now."  
Yuriy just nodded.  
"I've developed a second attack," Kai continued, albeit a little hesitant. "Originally, I wanted to keep it for the final. But the previous battles were more demanding than I expected. Since we'll be competing against Baihuzu next, I'm not sure if I can keep my other attack under lock and key any longer. And that brings me to the real problem."  
Yuriy knew what he meant right away. "You need a new attack," he said, "an even stronger one. In case things get even tougher after Baihuzu."  
"Yes. I've been thinking about it for a while. And I have an idea, but I'm afraid you won't like it."  
"I'm listening.”  
Kai looked down at his knees. He put his hands between his thighs, as if he was cold. "You must show me how to use the Holy Beast Weapon," he finally said.  
Yuriy remained silent. When Kai raised his head to look at him, there was hardly any emotion in his face. He seemed to be frozen. But then he let out a long, deep "Hmm".  
"I know what you’re thinking", Kai started again, "The Holy Beast Weapon is not an attack, but a weapon developed by Volkov. Nevertheless - it would never have worked if you hadn't known how to channel the Bit Beasts’ energies. And that is exactly what I need to know. I need to concentrate Suzaku's energy for a single strike."  
Yuriy stood up. Kai's hands clenched together as his leader walked away, then turned to him and sighed while running a hand through his hair. "You don't know what you're asking for, Kai. This attack - I swore to myself I would never use it again."  
"You don't have to," he replied quickly, because he had expected such a statement. "I only need one part of the routine. And I only want to use it with a single Bit Beast, with Suzaku."  
"That is not the point", Yuriy replied, "Not only. It's also about Volkov." When he said that name, all his discomfort manifested itself in his posture. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed his shoulder with one hand. "Back then, he really tried hard to push me up to that level so that I would be able to control this attack. The training was...inhuman."  
"But you were a child,” Kai objected. His words sounded far from as convincing as he would have liked to put them forward. But he didn't want to give up completely, either. "Of course you were too weak. But now we are older. And stronger. Don't you think it's safer for us now?"  
"You don't get it, do you, Kai?" Yuriy said to him. "The Holy Beast Weapon - the Krasnaya Kometa that everyone saw - is like a bullet, the ammunition. You know what you need for shooting bullets, don't you?"  
"A gun," Kai replied quietly.  
"Right. Only in this case, the gun is not your Bit Beast. Not even your Blade. It is yourself."  
"I understand that."  
"No, you don't understand anything. What happens if you fire a gun? There is a recoil. The bigger your gun, the harder the blowback. It's the same with Krasnaya Kometa. First, you would have to allow Suzaku to connect with your mind so that you can fire the shot. But that's the easy part, because after that you, your body, would have to absorb the recoil."  
"What happens if I don't - "  
"It tears you apart," Yuriy said bluntly. Kai's eyes widened, but the redhead continued. "Either you intercept the concentrated energy or it will destroy you. When I trained for this, Wolborg could have killed me at the slightest mistake. And if I hadn't succeeded in channeling their energy, the Bit Beasts you stole for Volkov would have killed me as well." Kai never had seen the pain of what he lived through in Yuriy's eyes, but he did now. "I had no choice. I never wanted to use the Holy Beast Weapon, but I had to."  
"But-"  
"And now you want me to show you just that? How to connect with a power so strong that your body can't possibly contain it?"  
"If we want to reach the final and win, there are no alternatives," Kai interrupted him loudly, "Do you think we can get through this tournament without taking any risks? All our rivals are terribly strong, and they are getting stronger by the minute. We both knew it would end like this. And that's why we're on the same team now, isn't it?" He had now also stood up and took a step towards Yuriy. "We joined forces because we both needed only one thing - a partner who doesn’t care what the price of victory was." There was something going on in Yuriy's face that Kai deliberately ignored. "Please don't back out now, Yuriy."  
"And how would that work now?" the redhead replied quietly, "You may not care if you get hurt or worse. You've always been like that. I admit, you never cease to surprise me with that energy of yours - but look at yourself. We are nearing the end of the tournament and Suzaku is eating you up. Do you think nobody sees that?"  
Unfortunately he was right. The longer they were connected to their Bit Beasts as intensively as they were now, the bigger the strain they put on their bodies. That happened to every blader. But that was exactly why Kai had to gather the skills right now to beat Kinomiya! Was Yuriy not aware of this?  
His leader went on: "Volkov had to drug me and put me in the incubator so I could stand it. And I doubt I am still able to use the Holy Beast Weapon today. Not even Sergeij would stand up to all this, and he is almost twice your size. - Kai. If something happens to you... You're asking me to let you run straight to your doom."  
It was hard to ignore the effect those words had. His ambition had not blinded Kai completely. He did not want to hurt Yuriy, and even less did he want the other one to return to this dark place of his past for him. If another possibility had occurred to him at that moment, he would have gladly fallen back on it. But it simply did not exist. With the development of his secret attack, the Blazing Gig Tempest, he had gone to the limits of his abilities. The only way to top this was to strengthen his connection with Suzaku even more - and ignore the consequences. Borg was the only organisation that had ever gone this far. Now it was time for these damn experiments to finally pay off.  
He went over to Yuriy and gently pulled his arms apart. Hesitantly, the redhead's fingers let go of his jacket; he probably hadn’t even noticed what he was doing. Kai looked up at him. "I'm sorry," he said, "But you are the only one who can help me."  
He would have shaken him if it had been necessary but instead, Yuriy pulled him into a firm hug. For a while, they just stood there and Kai wondered what his team captain was thinking.  
"Why now, Kai," Yuriy said close to his ear, "If you had asked me in Irkutsk or in Rome, you probably could have convinced me. But now it’s… different. Don’t you understand that I have… no interest in you getting hurt?"  
Kai, feeling his pulse quicken, hold him a little tighter. He didn't want to be protected, had never asked for it, and at the same time he wanted nothing more than to jack it all in.  
With gentle pressure he pushed Yuriy away. He had no more arguments except for one: "Yuriy, I know you want to win this tournament as much as I do. I don't know what your reason is, but for the past few weeks, you've only had one goal. Do you really wanna give that up now?"  
The other one closed his eyes in resignation. "No. Of course not."  
"Then think about what's at stake for you. This is not about us. It's about winning this match.” With these words he hoped to appeal to the part of Yuriy that had learned at the Abbey to put all sentimentality aside. It was unfair, but it was necessary.  
"We have to win this," his leader murmured and it sounded like a mantra.  
"Then help me."  
There was a steep line between Yuriy's eyebrows. For a while this was the only reaction that came from him. What was going on inside of him could not be seen. Then he nodded hardly noticeably.  
Kai exhaled and finally loosened his grip, for his hands had dug into Yuriy's arms. "Thank you."  
"But then there is no going back. I hope you realize that," Yuriy said, "And we don't have much time. We must begin at once."  
"I am ready."  
"No, you're not. No one is." Finally the blue eyes opened again, but now the uncertainty had disappeared from them. Yuriy stared at him grimly. "But maybe I was wrong. You are different from me. You have your stubbornness, after all, and you are - unbroken."  
At this last word a short pain shot through Kai. But the redhead did not move. "It's okay," he said and took a deep breath, "Just prove to me that you can do it. "  
Kai felt something like triumph in his chest - mixed with fear. And Suzaku noticed his emotions. Her flames flickered inside him, nervous but confident. Together they would share a power they had never felt before - and the feeling of power had always motivated them.  
And Yuriy? He didn't seem to quite grasp what he had gotten himself into because he just stood there, shaking his head slightly. But then he looked at Kai again. He, too, must have realized that they were about to do something really big. His life in the Abbey had taught him to reach for power when the opportunity presented itself. And so they were here now.  
A dangerous grin spread on their faces. There was no one at this World Cup who was willing to risk as much as they were, that much they knew.  
"We're both crazy," Yuriy said.  
"Does that surprise you?", Kai replied.  
"Not in the least. But you bring out all my bad sides."  
"Good. I need the version of you that builds a dome of ice without hesitating."  
His leader pushed him towards the bowl. "You want to see my party trick? You got it."  
Kai snorted in amusement and turned around. He expected Yuriy to follow him, but as he climbed onto the podium, the other one let out a very loud, very dirty curse. Astonished, Kai looked back at him and saw that he had not moved. "To win the final with Volkov's own weapon!" Yuriy said, "Oh, this is going to be good!”

It had become afternoon when they left the training room again. Kai felt as if he had been on the rack, physically and mentally. His legs trembled with every step, he was dishevelled and sweaty. His skull was throbbing with pain. Suzaku sent hot stabs through his body, from his lower abdomen up to his chest. Sometimes the pain was so severe that his view blurred for a second. Yuriy seemed a little better, but he too looked battered. Dark shadows had formed under his eyes.  
"Can you walk by yourself?"  
Kai nodded but soon realized that he had to hold on to the wall to stay upright. At some point Yuriy let him lean on his shoulder and put his hand on his back lightly. Slowly they came closer to the exit.  
"We should pause for a few days," Yuriy said, "You should save your energy for the semi-final." His grip became tighter because Kai stumbled at that moment. "Still," he judged, "it's a miracle that you are still standing on your own feet."  
"I take that...as a compliment."  
"You may. You are tough as leather, Kai."  
Luckily, the hotel was only a few steps away from the stadium. They got there unseen, but on their way to their room they ran into Michael and Emily. They both stared at them in shock. "What the hell happened to you?"  
"Training, Emily, training," Yuriy groaned and pulled Kai further down the hall, ignoring the PPB-Bladers. "Do you need a doctor or something?" Michael shouted after them.  
"I'll tell you what we don't need - your help," the redhead replied over his shoulder. Kai was only marginally aware of this exchange, he was occupied with himself.  
When they arrived at their room, he leaned against the wall. Suddenly he felt dizzy. He put his hand over his eyes.  
"Are you feeling nauseous?" asked Yuriy, who was looking for the key card in his pockets.  
"...yes."  
The door opened and his leader grabbed him by the elbow, for as soon as he pushed himself off the wall, he started to sway. "Sorry for the delayed warning, but chances are high you’re going to throw up," he said and Kai moaned.  
Two minutes later he knelt in front of the toilet, coughing. He still felt like crap, but at least his head wasn’t spinning anymore. "Don't worry, this will pass quickly," Yuriy said behind him, then he felt his cool hand on his forehead. "You're burning!" But Kai gestured tiredly. "That's just Suzaku."  
"That can't be good for your body in the long run, though."  
"Is Wolborg good for your body?" he shot back and Yuriy didn't answer. Immediately after that his bile rose for the last time. After that it was finally over. While he flushed the toilet, Yuriy went back into the room to get a bottle of water from the minibar. Kai heard him pushing something out of the way. He was still too weak to get up.  
"Hey Yuriy," he said and didn't quite manage to raise his voice.  
"Huh?"  
"Are you okay?"  
Yuriy reappeared in his field of vision. He handed him the water and leaned on the door frame while Kai was drinking. "I'm fine," he said then. "It's strange, somehow... I think our training might help me get over what happened."  
"Confrontation therapy", Kai said weakly and the corners of his mouth twitched. Yuriy laughed tiredly. A moment later he paused and looked back over his shoulder. Kai heard it too now - a soft, rhythmic vibration.  
"That’s your phone this time," Yuriy said, "I think someone is calling you.”  
"Can you see who it is?"  
"There's a picture of a Beyblade mascot on the screen."  
"Shit," Kai groaned weakly, "That's Kinomiya."  
"Takao Kinomiya? Should I pick up?"  
He reluctantly said yes. Kinomiya had absolutely no reason to just want to have a chat with him. So it had to be important. He heard Yuriy take the call. "Hello?" He spoke English. "No, he's just... hmm, indisposed." There was a pause, Kinomiya was probably talking to his leader now. Then Yuriy came back and handed Kai the phone. "You should talk to him", he said, this time in Russian. Kai just nodded submissively and took the device from him. Then he leaned his head against the tiled wall. "Kinomiya?"  
"Wow, you sound like shit."  
"You don't sound much better either." And it was true: Kinomiya's voice was sluggish and monotonous.  
"Okay, I get it," he said. "Kai, listen. You've probably heard about this documentary that KNN had planned about the BBA revolution."  
He growled. In fact, he hadn't given it a thought since this morning.  
"Well - we cancelled it. It was a stupid idea. But before you say that you knew it all along and call me an idiot -" Kai smirked. If he hadn't still been so shaky he would probably have done exactly what Kinomiya had just accused him of. "I have to talk to you. To you, Max, and Rei. Can we meet? Tonight, at the Hawkesbury Lookout?"  
"Wait", Kai said and lowered his hand. Clumsily he got on his feet and went to Yuriy, who had laid down on his bed. "I have to go somewhere later," he said to him, changing from Japanese back to Russian. His brain was having some difficulty telling the languages apart at that moment. "I'm meeting the others at, uh, Hawkesbury Lookout. Wherever that is."  
"How are you going to get there?" asked his leader, a question that overwhelmed Kai in his present condition. "I don't know", he replied, "Bus?"  
Yuriy sat up. "I'll drive you."  
"What?"  
"You heard me. So don't look at me like that."  
“Okay…,” Kai stammered and lifted the phone back to his ear to confirm the meeting. 

"What the hell have you done?" There was an expression of pure horror on Boris' face when Yuriy and Kai handed over their blades to him. You couldn’t blame him - Dranzer and Wolborg had suffered quite a bit during their training. The words of their teammate, however, not only referred to the condition of their blades, but also to themselves. Kai knew that he was still as white as a sheet and Yuriy looked as if he hadn't slept for three nights. "I'll explain later," he said, "Can you fix the blades? Kai and I have to go somewhere."  
"Yes, to bed! You guys look like shit." Sergeij now joined them, too. He appeared behind Boris and blinked in surprise when he saw them.  
"We’re fine, Boris. Really."  
Their two teammates exchanged a glance. "I can just carry them to their room and lock them up," Sergeij suggested and Boris nodded approvingly.  
"I swear, if you do so much as touch me," said Kai and raised his hands defensively. He noticed that he was still a bit unsteady, but nevertheless. He would not be carried anywhere.  
Yuriy convinced the other two that they had valid reasons for leaving the hotel again, and without them. Besides, Boris would probably need all night to repair Dranzer and Wolborg, and Sergeij would surely give him a hand. There was no arguing away this, and with the semi-final approaching, they grudgingly accepted their new task.  
After that was done, they got themselves a car. Yuriy had only turned eighteen in February, but he had almost immediately obtained his driving licence and had gone the extra mile to get an international one as well. This now benefited them. The hotel had a small car rental, and fortunately they had a few vehicles left.  
Yuriy was a good driver and also quickly got used to the automatic transmission. That impressed and reassured Kai - at least, until they pulled out of the garage and Yuriy realized people were “driving on the wrong side” of the road in Australia.  
They somehow made it onto the highway and while Yuriy accelerated, Kai put on his sunglasses. He leaned back and finally relaxed. His strength had almost been restored.  
They had rolled down the windows instead of using the air conditioning and turned the radio volume up quite a bit. When they got stuck in a short traffic jam, Yuriy lit a cigarette and supported his elbow on the side window. Kai slid down in his seat and pressed his knees against the dashboard. "Well, we've come a long way," he murmured. His leader grinned and took his hand off the steering wheel to put it on his thigh as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Don't worry, we're early anyway." He watched as Yuri's thumb stroked the fabric of his trousers until his hand disappeared from his leg as the traffic started to flow again. Kai found himself missing the touch. Shortly afterwards, the traffic jam dissolved completely and they drove on an almost free road towards the city limits.  
It turned out that the Hawkesbury Lookout was a lookout point west of Sydney, from which one could see both the city and the nature surrounding it. During the day it might have been a very touristy place, now in the evening the car park just below the plateau was almost empty. The whole scenery was bathed in the orange light of the sunset and the sky was a spectacular mix of light blue, yellow, and pink.  
They got out of the car, sat down next to each other on the bonnet and looked up pensively for a while. The air was cool, but Kai found it very pleasant after the training.  
He cleared his throat to get Yuriy's attention. "I am really grateful for what you did today," he said, "So - thank you.”  
Yuriy lifted the corners of his mouth, but there was no smile. "I didn’t joke when I said you’re really tough," he replied, "Most people would have had enough of what I did to you today alone. And we have also come much further than I thought. Maybe you will actually have your own comet in time for the final match."  
Kai stayed silent. He wanted to ask further questions but he didn't know if it was appropriate. A picture was edged in his mind that he had first seen in the stadium in Russia, and then never again, before today: A huge dome of ice towering high above him. Every sound seeped into the twisting, smooth walls and hardly any light passed through them. His memories of the tournament in Moscow were still clear, but there was one difference: back then he had only seen the ice from the outside.  
"You were quite impressive today as well," he finally started cautiously. "Why don't you use these techniques in your battles?"  
Yuriy lifted his gaze to the sky again and took his time with the answer. "I have used these techniques to hurt people," he then said. "And somehow they were never my attacks, but Volkov's. Right now I may not be as strong as I could be, but at least everything I do comes from myself. Nevertheless, I am starting to like the thought that you will have a red comet as well. Maybe we'll be able to turn the Holy Beast Weapon into something that is ... at least not as terrible.”  
Kai just nodded and looked up as well. That was probably what _Neo_ Borg was all about: independence from Volkov. Of course Yuriy wanted to win the tournament without the old tricks. He should have known.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other one turn towards him and look at him. He felt a little uneasy, but Yuriy made no attempt to speak.  
"Would you like a photo?" he finally asked sarcastically.  
"Hmm. Maybe?"  
Now he turned to Yuriy. "What?"  
"What? You look pretty in that light. Your skin is not as grey anymore. Wait, let me..." And before Kai realised what was happening, the other had pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and taken a photo. Then he turned the device around to show him the display. "See?"  
Kai had seen better photos of himself, but he didn't go for that. "You realize that I deserve a shitty picture of you too, now, don't you?" he asked and took out his own phone. It was a flip phone, so it had a bigger screen.  
"Let’s take one together," Yuriy suggested.  
"Yeah, no."  
"Don’t be pathetic, give me your phone.”  
“Wha- I am not pathetic!”  
The first attempts didn't really work out, because it was more difficult than expected to hold the mobile phone in the right way so that they were both in the picture. "Oh God, Yuriy, just stop it already!" Kai shouted, but couldn't suppress a snort in view of the really unfavourable picture they were looking at. The redhead raised his hand once more. "Come on, last try! - Damn, that was the wrong button, what the hell... Don't laugh at me!" But Kai couldn't hold back any longer and let out a short laugh. To his surprise, Yuriy joined in, and he was a bit mesmerized by that unusual sound.  
Yuriy put his arm around him and gave him a light squeeze so Kai could put his head in the bend of his neck. It felt good to be so close, especially after a day like this.  
"Fuck, Yuriy."  
"Huh?"  
"This is disgustingly romantic."  
"Eww. Let’s go back to being assholes, shall we?"  
“Wait. Just a second.” Kai hesitated briefly. "I think I like you," he said then.  
Yuriy leaned his head against his. "I think I like you, too, Zalatoj." 

Later he leaned against the sundial, which had been erected at the highest point of the plateau, skipped through the failed photos on his mobile phone and still could not suppress his smile. It was slowly getting dark, but the others had not shown up yet. That is, until he heard footsteps behind him, light but confident. It was Rei.  
"Kai?" he said, "Are you here for Takao?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about", he replied and closed his mobile phone as if by chance. Rei smiled tiredly. "How have you been?" he then asked, "I mean, with Neo Borg. It was quite...surprising. To say the least. You really should get into the habit of letting people know before you leave the team.”  
With a frown, Kai turned to him. He really didn't feel like going through this whole story again. "Rei. Please."  
"Okay, okay.” Rei put his hands in his pockets and let his eyes wander. "Well. Semi-final, huh?" he started again. Kai growled. "Did Lai recover yet?", he asked. "He seems a little… off lately."  
"I could say the same for your partner," Rei replied.  
"Don't worry, Yuriy is ready to kick your ass."  
"I didn't expect anything less." For the first time, Rei's voice sounded somewhat normal and not pressed. "You know, no matter what the semifinals bring, we should meet up afterwards," he said, "With the teams, I mean. Let's do something together. By then, our score will be settled, anyway. And, quite honestly, with a talkative team like Baihuzu, I’m starting to miss the conversations, pardon, the monologues I can hold in your presence.”  
Kai shrugged. The corners of his mouth had lifted a bit during Reis's last sentence. "Fine with me.”  
Shortly afterwards Max appeared. His presence lightened the mood between them.  
"I left Rick down at the parking lot with Yuriy, I hope they don't smash each other’s skulls in," Max said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Rei, please don't tell me you hitchhiked here or something.”  
"I took a taxi," Rei replied indignantly, as if he couldn't believe what Max thought he was doing. Kai smiled, because this exchange alone brought him back to the many days and nights they had spent together as a team. In fact, Rei hitchhiked quite often when there was no other option, and Max always worried too much, even if it was too late for that anyway.  
"Did you actually talk to each other before today?" Kai asked. His former teammates looked at each other with piqued faces. "Not really," Rei admitted, "I...had a lot going on with Baihuzu. Did you guys meet up?"  
"Yes", Max replied unmoved, "A couple of times even. What about Takao? Apart from Madrid, I almost never saw him outside the stadium."  
"I talked to him once, but very briefly," Rei said and Kai sighed. "He called me today, about the meeting. Apart from that - nothing."  
Rei raised his eyebrows and Max also made a meaningful face. He knew what was on their minds: Kai hadn't made any effort to contact Takao, either.  
"That was pretty shitty, guys", Max finally said, "We were a team for two years. We could have solved that better."  
Kai didn't know if Rei immediately wanted to defend himself as much as he did. They both just gave a humming. "I don't think it's good to create any drama before the final," Rei said, "We should wait and see what happens after the tournament.”  
He didn't say it out loud, but Kai knew what he meant: the real question was whether the Bladebreakers would reunite eventually or whether what had happened was too much to ever rebuild the team. Kai would not have known the answer at that point.  
"Guys." Max pointed down the hill. "Here comes Takao."  
Unconsciously, Kai straightened up. It was unmistakably Takao with the baseball cap and the red jacket. But something was different compared to the last days. Takao had not been himself, but tired and moody and uninspired. He had looked as if he had been blunted, as if a dirty mist had enveloped him. That fog had now lifted. As he rose before them, they realised that his vigour had returned. He launched Dragoon and the blade spun in circles in front of them. Kai raised his eyebrows. It seemed as if the world champion had gotten back on his feet.  
"I promise you, I will give everything," Takao said, and there was not much more to say. An oath hung in the air. Kai felt how Suzaku reacted to the other three bit beasts. Byakko, Genbu, Seiryu - he could feel their auras in the air and how Suzaku connected with them. At that moment they were a team again and each of them could guess what the other three were thinking. They all wanted to prove themselves, they all wanted this rivalry that existed between them. It had to be settled, once and for all. Then, perhaps, they could fight again as a unit. 

Kai lowered his head so that his hair hid his face, and closed his eyes briefly. He was dizzy, colourful spots were dancing behind his eyelids, in his ears was a murmur that faded only very, very slowly. He felt Suzaku, and although the smoke hadn't completely cleared in the arena, he knew that Dranzer was still rotating. Had he won? So quickly? Not much time could have passed, even though his body felt like he had just absolved several hours of intensive training. Rei hadn't given him a single moment to think about building a strategy. As soon as he thought he saw a gap in the other's defence, he had to take advantage of it immediately, before the opportunity was gone again. There was no time to plan two moves in advance or even to try to see a pattern in the other's attacks.  
Rei was damn good.  
Finally, sounds reached his ears again. The stadium was bathed in noise and DJ was shouting something into the mic right next to him. Kai's eyes focused on Dranzer, who could now be recognised, and then he noticed Driger, who was also still spinning. A sound of pure astonishment escaped him. Rei was not beaten. But where was he?  
Carefully he raised his eyes. There were Baihuzu, frantic as he had never seen them before. And that meant something, for they were a team that carried their emotions like on a banner. Mao started a heated discussion with DJ and only now it dawned on Kai that DJ was just about to declare him the winner of the match. Why? Driger was still there... And then he saw him. Rei. He was lying on his stomach on the other side of the bowl and did not move. Lai stood behind him and it seemed to cost him all his willpower not to run up to his partner. Because if he stepped onto the podium, his team would be disqualified. How long had Rei been lying there? Had he, Kai, really messed him up that badly?  
Kai felt panic rising within himself. His breath began to tremble. This sight - the destroyed arena, Rei there with his face in the dirt - and the screams, those damned screams around him, drew parallels that existed only in his head. Deathmatches. Beybattles after which nobody could say where the losers were taken - and nobody asked why these boys were never seen again. The fear with which they had launched and which raged in their own bowels during the battle, and then the relief of having won, which at some point outweighed all concern about the fate of the opponent. Kai knew that this desperate fear still affected him today. When he was driven into a corner, it made him lash out and resist until he was free again.  
He had to stop these thoughts. His breath went restless and hissing and it was only thanks to the noise level that no one noticed.  
And then Rei stirred. His team was the first to notice it and at first he only realised that his opponent was coming to again thanks to their exuberant reaction. Shortly afterwards, he saw it for himself. Infinitely slowly Rei got back on his feet, made an unsteady step to the side, then he stood firmly. Kai stared at him, took a deep breath. He was glad that the other one had made it. At the same time he prepared himself as best he could for what was to come. Rei was like Kinomiya. Even if he was almost beaten - when he picked himself up again, his counter was stronger than ever before. He had the ability to increase his strength by leaps and bounds. That was the dangerous thing about him.  
Kai's skin began to tingle. The air around him crackled while Rei gathered energy for an attack. Then Driger shot off, enlivened by Byakko, twitching brightly through the bowl. Unconsciously, Kai held his breath, every nerve focused on Dranzer, his whole attention focused on the evasive manoeuvres he had to take to escape Driger. Attack was not even an option.  
Of course this didn't work for long. Rei encircled him and finally landed a mighty blow. At the last moment Kai braced himself against the shock wave - dodging it was not possible. A cloud of dust and smoke enveloped him, tiny stone splinters bored into his skin. Dranzer had probably damaged the bowl on it’s impact. All of a sudden his knees buckled, a brief moment of weakness. He held on with both hands, preventing him from going all the way to the floor. Then he heard the whirring of his blade in front of him. So he was still undefeated. Good. The smoke cleared and Kai got back on his feet. Opposite him was Rei, breathing heavily, and seemed unable to believe his eyes. They looked at each other silently. At that moment, Kai realized that he really had to invest everything he had into this fight. No more secrets, no more aces up his sleeve. Rei had managed to get the last word out of him.  
All right, then.  
He reached for his neck and took off his long white scarf. It was more of a symbolic gesture, but the freedom of movement was necessary for what came next. Now, at the latest, everyone in the stadium knew that it was getting serious. Silence fell.  
But even Rei had not yet shown everything. He started a new attack. Byakko wrapped him in a shimmering green light that hurt Kai's irritated eyes. Then Driger disappeared. His rotation had increased so much that no one was able to follow his movements. Yet he could still be heard. Kai's senses were now stretched to the breaking point. The air seemed to shimmer, or rather something suddenly shimmered in the spotlights. Driger. Suzaku moved triumphantly in his chest. She wanted to fly, she wanted to fight.  
The time had come: The weeks in Irkutsk, the eternal running against the rock, the training during the tournament - everything came to an end in this second: Heat shot through his veins, then he released Suzaku. She put her wings around him, her presence was like a safe cocoon. He felt the tender, warm feathers stroke his arms and face, a brief moment that they only shared in fights like this one, when she manifested. She always took time for this greeting when she entered his world, always.  
Then she enveloped him in her flames.  
Kai loved this feeling. It was as if he was actually burning, absorbed in Suzaku's energy. She was everywhere, filling the whole environment and most of all she was _in_ him at the same time. They were one, and for a moment he shared her infinite knowledge and power. How could this bond be strengthened? He felt that she could destroy his body with ease, and it would have been okay, because what did an earthly life mean in the face of this power?  
It all lasted only a few seconds - then he sent the Blazing Gig Tempest towards his opponent. Suzaku spread her wings and descended upon the stadium. And Byakko had to bow down before her. Kai was showered with her euphoria, while Driger was thrown up into the air and barely missed Rei as it fell. His hair band was torn apart and the black hair fell down in cascades.  
Kai had won.  
Suzaku had disappeared, she slowly retreated into him. It was almost unbearable. As good as it felt when he let her fly, it was terrible to take her back in. His body was burning, and this time there was no euphoria, only exhaustion. A choking sensation crept up his throat and he pressed his lips firmly together to suppress it. Dranzer shot up so he could catch it, then he turned around abruptly. He had to get away from here.  
"Kai!" That was Rice's voice, weak, yet firm and proud. The call made him pause, but he didn't have the strength to look back.  
"Good luck for the finale!"  
He raised his fist, still holding his blade, into the air. That was all he was capable of. Then he climbed down the steps and pushed past his team. Boris and Sergeij were standing right next to the bowl and seemed to be saying something to him, but a high hissing sound spread in his head and swallowed all the noise. He did not see Yuriy. It took the rest of his strength to put one foot in front of the other until he finally stood in the dark corridor that lead to the changing rooms.  
There he collapsed. His body hit the wall and he gasped for breath. Only then did he open his hand to see how much damage Dranzer had taken. The blade had some deep scratches. The longer he looked at it, the worse the nausea that rose up inside him became. 

A knock tore him from his sleep. Tired, Kai blinked at the darkness, but it didn't disappear. Night had fallen and Yuriy was not there. Another knock. Sluggishly he stood up, got out of bed and walked, unsteadily because of his tiredness, to the door. When he opened, Boris and Sergei stood before him.  
"We have to talk," said Boris and Kai let them in, switching the light on at the same time. "Where is Yuriy?" he asked and rubbed his eyes once more. The dull pain that the match against Rei had left behind slowly spread through his body.  
"That doesn't matter," replied Boris, who had sat down in one of the chairs and looked up at Kai. Sergeij leaned against the wall next to the window. "While you were in here getting your beauty sleep, we had a chat with him. About the two of you." These words made Kai forget his tiredness. It was unmistakable why they were here. For a moment he became angry. Why did this happen now, of all times, right after the match? - But he had expected that it would happen one day. It was as good now as at any other time.  
He searched Boris' facial expressions and posture for signs of aggression, but he found none. "He...told you everything?" he finally asked and sat down on his bed again.  
"Yes,” Boris replied, "At least everything that is necessary, I think. Not that I want to know the details."  
"Then why are you here?" His gaze wandered to Sergeij, who returned it expressionlessly. Boris sighed and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his thighs. "The thing is, Kai...I wasn't really surprised when he told us. To be honest, I've been wondering for a while now why he is so little interested in...women."  
Kai said nothing and an uncomfortable silence spread between them. He was tired, he was not in the mood for a discussion like that. It was clear that there was something on Sergeij’s and Boris' minds, but nobody wanted to speak up. So Kai went on the offensive: "What's wrong? Are we not real men in your eyes anymore?"  
"Damn it, Hiwatari, you never were," Boris replied promptly. But then it was Sergeij who tried to put everything into words. And that was a good thing, because Kai would have loved to sink his fist into Boris' face. It was his luck that he was too exhausted for that.  
Sergeij came a step closer and sat down on the armrest of the armchair. "Yuriy generally never had much interest in other people," he said, "It's probably Volkov's fault. Yuriy and he were very close. Whether Yuriy trusted him, we don't know. He does not talk about it. And that's the problem." His jaw moved uncomfortably. "Yuriy doesn't trust anybody easily, but now he seems to trust you, and too much so."  
For Kai it became clear in that moment why his teammates had visited him alone. "You think I am a bad influence," he said. "You blame it on Yuriy's rotten childhood that he can't help but throw himself into my arms - me, a faithless, man-eating asshole." He twisted his mouth. "Even you guys should know this is not how it works."  
"It's not like Yuriy to just start… something like that," Boris said to him, "no matter if he was actually ... gay or whatever. So we asked ourselves - what did you do to him?"  
Kai raised his eyebrows. He could understand them a bit. It had to be confusing. Boris' last question had been so honestly helpless that he almost felt a bit sorry for them.  
"Did you ever ask Yuriy about it directly?" he said, "If he likes men, I mean."  
Boris sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. "Yes," he replied, "And it took a lot of vodka to do that. He denied it at the time, but... Yuriy always hides things."  
"He didn't deny," mumbled Sergeij, "You just wanted to hear a no. He said he didn't care about such things."  
Kai was silent, because he didn't know what he could contribute. Boris seemed to be very piqued at that moment and Sergeij had twisted his mouth in a meaningful way. Had it not been such a serious situation, he might have laughed. Neo Borg could be such idiots.  
"Now do you expect me to end it?" he said, although that would be out of the question for him, especially if someone tried to order him to do it. And above all, that would not be a solution. But this time the other two really surprised him. They took a quick look at each other, then Sergeij cleared his throat. "I think, yes, that's basically what we want," he said, "But I think we all realised that ... it doesn't work like that, as you put it.”  
"Honestly, Hiwatari, I can't imagine what he sees in you,” Boris added, "But it is also clear that he has never looked at anyone the way he looked at you. And when he didn't kill you, when you ran after him after the thing with Barthez, it became clear to us what was going on." Little wrinkles appeared on his nostrils; he looked alienated but not disgusted. "I really wish you had somehow ... pulled him into this, because then I could just smash your face in. But it seems that Yuriy is in his right mind."  
"I thought so too," Kai replied dryly.  
"Anyway," said Sergeij, "I don't know what it is about you either. Maybe it's a fling, maybe you're just having a little fun. Whatever, just - watch out for him a bit. Because ... because it's Yuriy."  
Kai looked at them as they stood before him, tired but alert. They had also been through quite a lot at this tournament, even without having fought themselves. This was probably not appreciated enough. And now he realized something else: Yuriy was not the only one who cared about the team, Boris and Sergeij also played their part in keeping the unit from falling apart. They looked after their team captain.  
"You probably won't believe me, but I really don't mean any harm," said Kai, "And I do believe that Yuriy knows what he's doing.”  
"Maybe so," replied Boris, "but that doesn't mean I can't break your neck if you hurt him."  
Kai smiled. "Well, I think I understand," he said. 

Kai had always considered Rei to be quite a beau, almost an aesthetic appearance that no external environmental influences could harm. He had probably been wrong. As they approached him and his team, Kai could clearly see the wounds their fight had left on him. Rei was also quite pale, just like himself, except that it looked a bit more unhealthy on him because of his normally sun-kissed skin. Nevertheless, he smiled happily, just as Kai knew him, not as he had presented himself to the cameras during the last weeks. Relentless and strong. Now the proverbial burden of the tournament seemed to have been taken off his shoulders. Involuntarily, Kai felt a quiet envy rising within himself. "How are you doing," he asked tentatively after a short greeting, and Rei just gestured tiredly, telling him about how Lai had been hit much worse and how he was glad that he could finally take a longer break. This tournament was wearing on them, even though they were not directly involved in the battles: A quick look at Mao revealed to Kai that she too must have pulled some all-nighters, just like Gao and Kiki, who were constantly wavering between annoyance and satisfaction. After all, the world championship was over for them.  
Since most of them were still too young to enjoy the nightlife, they decided to go to a nearby park and find a place in the grass. While the Baihuzus were running ahead, the Neo Borgs strolled a little behind. However, Lai and Mao eventually found themselves with the Russians, while Kai and Rei walked in the middle and talked quietly.  
"Was it that hard for you to be team leader, too?" Rei asked, "Sometimes I think the responsibility is too much, even with Tao, who already takes a lot of the organisational stuff off our hands.”  
"You guys were impossible," Kai said, "but you could get used to it. And I always treated you quite badly.”  
"Don't downplay; you were the evil stepmother."  
"Yes, because you also managed to screw things up as soon as I left you alone!"  
Rei laughed, but when he added "That's right!" he looked a bit gloomy. Kai could only guess what the other one was thinking about. "It was a lot easier then," Rei finally said.  
Kai shrugged. He thought to himself that Rei was not making it easy for himself with his ambition and the pressure he put on Lai and the others. But who was he to criticize him, he, of all people? After all, it was Kai who had only just forced his own team captain to teach him a potentially deadly attack.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rei looking back. "You are happy with your team, aren't you?" he said, "With Neo Borg. Yuriy is a good tag team partner for you. You can see that from your battles."  
"Yes, because we never really play double," Kai replied amused, "And we don't talk much. At least not during the matches."  
"But you don't fight either."  
Kai didn't reply to that. He knew that Rei and Lai had had difficulties - everybody knew that. It was probably also because of the ranks they occupied within the clan, and maybe also because of the changed hierarchy. After all, Lai had been team captain as well.  
"Yuriy and I fought a lot," Kai said quietly, "In the beginning. He even punched me."  
"Uh, what?" The sound that came from Rei seemed like a laugh that had been painstakingly converted into a puffing sound.  
"Right in the face," Kai added. Now Rei really laughed.  
A few minutes later they found a place in the meadow that was big enough for all of them. It turned out that both teams had provided biscuits and other snacks beforehand, creating a big pile of crackling bags in the middle of their circle; but when Boris conjured up a plastic bottle which, he confessed shortly afterwards, contained vodka, he was given a wicked look by Mao and received Yuriy's dutifully pronounced rebuke with his head theatrically drawn between his shoulders. The bottle was opened a short time later nevertheless and made the rounds. The emerging darkness was chased away with candles.  
As soon as Team Baihuzu noticed that the Russians would not rip their heads off for every word spoken too loudly, and that they actually had facial muscles, the mood lightened noticeably. The alcohol probably did the rest. Rei told, already slightly slurred, a few anecdotes from the tournament in the China Tower two years ago. By the time he had explained in detail how he had woken up Takao one fine day with a chilli pepper, all tension had disappeared. At some point Boris nudged Yuriy and Kai and discreetly pointed at Sergeij, who was talking to Mao about stir fries in broken English.  
"It’s nice, seeing her like that," Rei muttered, so that Kai thought he was the only one who heard it. Maybe the other one meant his whole team, but his eyes were resting on Mao.  
He actually knew the whole story of Rei and Mao. It all started when one day he had taken Rei aside during training because of his lack of concentration. Over a cup of tea, Rei had told him long and hard about a relationship that could not be one - it was a problem that Rei rarely spent time in his home country any more, and somehow both him and Mao seemed to be afraid that their friendship would suffer if they went one step further. Kai, however, had somehow been glad that his only problem at that time had been the balance of his blade.  
"Are you finally dating?" he asked frankly. Rei blushed and hastily grabbed the vodka bottle that had been passed on to him at that very moment. He took a sip that was much too big, but forced it down instead of exposing himself in front of the others. Boris, who had noticed this, made an applauding noise before taking the bottle from him.  
"Kai, it's not that simple," Rei finally said. "I think she's a little scared of Lai’s reaction too."  
"Why? Her brother has known for years that she has a crush on you. And you have a crush on her."  
"I don't know... I think she's afraid my friendship with Lai might be affected or something." He gave him a grim look. "It's just not that easy growing up together. You can't compare it to things like - like _You Know Who_."  
"Rei, just… don’t."  
"Who is You Know Who?"  
Unnoticed by them, Yuriy had leaned in closer. He had probably been listening to their conversation for quite a while - they had spoken English for the sake of simplicity.  
"Kai's ex", Rei replied, and Kai, who was sitting between them, flinched briefly.  
Yuriy raised one eyebrow. "Kai's ex is Lord Voldemort?"  
“He didn't tell you about that?" Rei's hand came down on Kai's arm forcefully, as if he wanted to keep him from jumping up and running away. "Grab some popcorn and sit back - I'll tell you everything!" It was probably convenient for him to finally distract from his own relationship drama. Or it was sheer gloating; it wasn’t often that he got the chance to expose Kai. Anyway, he suddenly became quite eager.  
"I don't think that's necessary,” Kai said, "Looks like you can’t hold your spirits, Rei ..."  
"That bad?" it came softly from Yuriy, but Rei misunderstood the question. "That bad? Well, not the guy as such - not at all, if you know what I mean," he said, winking at Yuriy, "I mean, I think I can judge quite objectively whether men are attractive. And let me tell you, Kai has definitely found a fine specimen.”  
"Well, well," Yuriy said. Kai could only hear him, because when he realized that Rei was not to be stopped, he had put one hand over his eyes and pulled his head between his shoulders. This was one of the rare moments when he really wanted to curl up and die.  
“Yeah, I mean, I only saw him briefly a few times. He’s a bit older, right, Kai? I remember being a little surprised that Kai would prey on older dudes.”  
“What do you mean old he had just started college when we met!” Kai interrupted because he couldn’t hold back - and he was embarrassed to the core, so offense was the best defence.  
“Sure, Kai, sure. Also, he had a nice car. Would pick him up after training quite regularly. The rest of us had a bet going on that Kai only wanted someone with a car, but it went down the drain before we could find out. And that was the real drama!"  
"Hm. Tell me more." Kai quickly slapped Yuriy’s arm, but his team captain ignored that. Maybe he should go for Rei instead?  
"Oh, the guy kept calling him. At the beginning it was quite annoying during practice because his phone would just keep ringing. He was quite attached to you, wasn't he, Kai?"  
"I can't imagine," Yuriy said bluntly and Rei laughed. "Me neither! But You Know Who was crazy for him. Can I have another sip?" He reached out for the vodka that had just returned to them, but Yuriy was smart enough to casually pass the bottle in the other direction.  
"That's enough now, Rei," Kai finally said, and luckily the other one listened to him. Thereupon he was able to steer the conversation back into another direction.  
In the next few minutes the voices around them became louder and more boisterous. Kai closed his eyes for a bit, because the few sips of alcohol he had drunk made his limbs pleasantly heavy. But then he could hear Yuriy’s voice right next to his ear: "Let's go for a walk.”  
He was more than happy with that. When they got up, only Rei and Boris, who were sitting right next to them, briefly raised their eyes; the others probably didn't even notice them leaving.  
After a few steps, the darkness had swallowed them. Even the paths in the park were only lit by a few lanterns. They weren't the only ones here, because now and then you could hear voices of small groups on the lawn. After a while they came to a narrower path, where it became more and more quiet. Now thick bushes grew on both sides, with cicadas chirping. Their hands touched, and Yuriy's fingers interlocked with Kai’s. He could not help but smile, albeit unseen. They slowed their pace and strolled side by side.  
"Boris and Sergeij came to you, didn’t they?" Yuriy asked abruptly. "I'm sorry if they took you by surprise. After the match against Baihuzu, they questioned me. And I didn't want to lie to them."  
"It's okay," Kai said. He thought back to the conversation with their teammates. "I'm glad they know," he continued, "although I think they are very sceptical."  
Yuriy moved his mouth as they walked under a lantern. "They seem to think that after the World Cup, things will go nowhere anyway."  
Kai frowned and tried to ignore his pulse, which suddenly accelerated. Yuriy's grip became a little tighter - maybe he just imagined it.  
"Tell me...", he started, "What are you doing after the tournament?” But before the other one could answer, he pulled him to a bench that stood in a niche between the bushes. They sat down next to each other, but they both looked down. "That's not quite clear yet," Yuriy finally said. "Well. Vanja still has to graduate. Sergeij and Boris are considering taking the entrance examinations in Arkhangelsk. Maybe I will do that too. But none of that has been decided yet because the tuition fees are quite high. In any case, you can't do that without a part-time job."  
"Why Arkhangelsk?" Kai asked confusedly. This city was miles away from Moscow.  
"Did we really never talk about it?” Yuriy seemed a bit piqued. "We moved two months ago. To Severodvinsk. Moscow's gotten a little too expensive for us.”  
Kai didn't know what to say to that at first. He had in fact always simply assumed that the others still lived in Moscow. From there they had come to Irkutsk. But that was no reason, because the capital had the best flight connections, of course.  
Unfortunately, it was not surprising that Moscow became too expensive to live. He knew the amount of money that had been paid out as compensation in the trial against Borg. It was enough for a good life in a small Russian town and a decent basic education. Studying at a university was not included in that calculation. And beyond that, there were certainly no big leaps possible.  
"But," he said slowly as he went through the options left for his teammates, "If you don't study ... then they can draft you, right?”  
At that, Yuriy laughed briefly and cheerlessly. "Oh, no. We have medical reports from Cyrill Pavlovich. That's actually the one thing I'll always be thankful for." He bent over and put his elbows on his thighs. "Honestly, I would rather die than go through another military training," he murmured and it almost sounded as if he was talking to himself. As if he had said this sentence more than once.  
Kai just nodded. It wasn't easy to avoid military service, especially when one didn’t have the money. He had heard about some Abbey boys that had joined the military - simply because they didn't know anything else. Or had no other option. It was by no means the best solution, and so he was glad that his teammates were able to prevent it.  
Yuriy turned to him. "What about you? You still go to school in Moscow, don't you?"  
"Near Moscow. To a damn English speaking all boys' boarding school," he growled, "And only there because I get an international degree there.”  
"Well, but it's in Russia, after all."  
"It might as well be on the moon. We have one visiting day a month."  
"Woah,” Yuriy said, and Kai nodded once more. "Someone may visit me, but they won't let me leave," he said, "So I'm locked up for another year. Awfully convenient for my grandfather."  
"Hm. And the trip to Moscow would almost take a day, by train. Not to mention the ticket prices," Yuriy said.  
Kai refused to add that it would probably be too expensive. Fleetingly he thought of his grandfather, but asking him for money was not an option, for several reasons. Of course, he made sure Kai was getting the best education possible, hence the elite school, but he hardly ever saw any cash from the old man. There was no money to be made through sport as well, they were just amateurs.  
"It's ironic," he said, "you'd think it would be easier if you were in the same country."  
Yuriy now sat up straight again and put one arm around his shoulders. This gesture had become familiar to both of them. Kai sat a little closer to him.  
"You know," Yuriy said, "maybe we should think about that when the time comes."  
Kai knew what he meant: Let's not worry about it now. We have more important things to do. On one hand he welcomed this, because he too wanted to concentrate on the final - it was a simple, achievable task. On the other hand, his heart was still beating uncomfortably loud and hurried. And then there was this thought, which he actually didn't want to finish.  
He did not _not_ care what happened to them after the tournament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Kai has really been in the Beyblade business any longer than Takao. But since he was introduced as Japanese champion in the German Dub, I always had the headcanon that he had tournament experience even before Takao.  
> Yes, I researched compulsory military service and the school system in Russia.  
> In GRev, the Bladebreakers meet at Uluru, but that is completely crazy, because Uluru is 3000 km away from Sydney. Sorry, but no, I won't take part in something like that. So I moved the scene to the Hawkesbury Lookout.  
> The story takes place around 2003 (timing of the original broadcast I think), but I always have 2005 (? German broadcast) in mind. The technology is "advanced" accordingly - taking a selfie was a bit more difficult back then! :D


	8. Bakuten I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, this is a chapter I had a lot of fun with :D

Kai blinked tiredly as the sudden jolt that went through the plane as it touched down on the runway tore him from his sleep. He peered out the window and saw that they were approaching the terminal building of Tokyo-Narita. Six weeks ago he had left the city for Russia - somehow he didn't quite believe that he should return now. The flight from Sydney to Japan had taken nine hours, and now they would take a bus to Bakuten, through Tokyo's suburbs to the sea. That could take up to two more hours.   
Yuriy was sitting next to him, fast asleep; a few hours ago he had managed to put his head on Kai’s shoulder, which was surprising given their height difference, but his leader seemed to have the gift of quite literally folding himself up - and Kai hadn't wanted to wake him, so he had sat very quietly and had finally dozed off, too. He regretted this now, because his back felt very tense. All around him the other passengers were stirring. The Beyblade teams took up almost half the plane, as they had all taken the same flight this time. Only Barthez Soldiers were no longer with them, but were already on their way back to Europe.  
Now Yuriy also lifted his head. "Oh, sorry", he murmured and yawned. "What time is it?" Kai did not know. Flights to the West were strange because even though they were in the air for half a day, officially only a few hours had passed. So it must have been early afternoon.   
Dishevelled and tired, they climbed onto the bus the BBA had provided for them, and most of them fell asleep again on the trip to Bakuten. Rick, who was sitting in front of Kai, dropped his head back and began snoring loudly. No one had the energy to shake him to make him stop. The billboards were plastered with posters that announced the World Championship finale, and Kinomiya's face smiled at them as they passed by.   
Kinomiya.  
If everything went the way he imagined, the coming battle would be their last, and he never doubted for a moment that the BBA Revolution would make it to the final. Kai did not know whether he was happy about it or afraid of it. He was tired, incredibly tired, not just because of the last few weeks. Years of emotional and exhausting struggles were weighing on him. And there were already a plethora of young beybladers who would flood the next tournaments. Did he have the patience to stand up to them all once again? Of course he had a certain reputation, but it was precisely this that attracted others to challenge him. And he was not like Kinomiya, he could not imagine dedicating his whole life to the sport. So it had to be done. He had to win this next fight.   
The bus finally stopped in front of the hotel where most of the teams were accommodated. However, the BBA Revolution would stay in the Kinomiya dojo and Max and Judy also returned home. There was a small commotion as they all searched for their luggage and said goodbye to the others for the time being. Kai shouldered his bag and turned to his team. A meeting of the team managers with Daitenji had been announced for the afternoon, which Yuriy had to attend. Sergeij and Boris seemed tired, they had analysed the data of the semi-final before the flight, so that Kai and Yuriy could use the results for the calibration of their new blades. They would probably fall into their beds and sleep the rest of the day away. "Go ahead," Yuriy told them.  
They waited until everyone else had disappeared in the hotel entrance.   
"See you tomorrow," Kai finally said and Yuriy nodded. "In the training room."  
"In the training room."   
They looked at each other and Kai wanted to kiss him goodbye, but the chance of being seen was just too high. But then Yuriy reached out and grabbed his hand. His thumb briefly stroked the back of Kai's hand, then he let go again. "You're going to...him?," he asked and Kai nodded. "It's okay," he said as he noticed the redhead's expression. "He is my grandfather after all. We'll be fine."   
"I believe you will. Ah..." Yuriy sighed and rubbed his neck. "It'll be strange without you." He gave him an unusually open look, to which Kai reacted with a grin, although for a moment it felt like a hot stone was lying in his stomach.   
"Yes...", he murmured and paused, not knowing if he should say the next words out loud. "You guys could… stay with me, too. Well. If you want to, that is."   
Yuri's face darkened. He thought of Soichiro. Presumably, Kai's own team would never set foot in his grandfather's house. They had talked about it, but Kai couldn't say much more than that he got along with Soichiro and that the old man had changed for the better, if only with the help of long, exhausting therapy sessions. And it was what Kai wanted, because although they did not have a close relationship, his grandfather gave him all the freedom he needed.   
"I told you, Kai," Yuriy finally said, "This is definitely not going to work.”  
"Yeah, probably not."  
"But I'll text you.” He held up the prepaid mobile phone that the BBA had provided for him so he could be reached in Japan. His old one wasn't compatible with the local SIM cards. Kai grinned. "You better call me instead," he replied. At that moment he saw a dark car with tinted windows slowly pulling out of a side street. "I have to go." Yuriy opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he just shook his head and smiled. "See you tomorrow."   
Kai had just taken a seat in the back of the car when his phone vibrated in his pocket for the first time.  
 _You are such a snob, you know that. With your chauffeur and everything._

The Hiwatari Estate lay on the outskirts of the city. Kai only spent time in this house when necessary. For most of the year he lived in the boarding school anyway. And during the holidays he stayed with friends and acquaintances as often as possible - not least with Kinomiya. It had already become quite the habit that the whole team stayed in the dojo for weeks. That's why his room was also quite empty, he rather used it as storage space. A suitcase, which contained his uniforms and other school clothes, he unpacked only for washing and immediately packed it again, ready for the next departure. There were no decorations on the walls except for a large poster of David Bowie: His bright face sharply set off against the grey background, his large hands held up like he was a puppet that was forced to bow; his eyes staring into nothingness.  
He dropped his luggage in a corner of his room and pulled his shirt over his head. It was as if a thick layer of dust lay on his skin. His legs ached from the many hours he had spent in the cramped plane seat, and he had a bad taste in his mouth. So he went across the hall to the bathroom, dressed in nothing but underwear, to take a shower. Unwillingly he took a look in the mirror. His hair was flattened and limp and the blue triangles he conscientiously wore at every tournament were smeared at the edges. He moistened the tip of a towel to wipe them off. It took a long time. He had actually wanted to stop using the face paint for some time, but it had become his trademark to such an extent that the press would only pounce on him if he did. He had even seen fans imitating it, and that was a bit scary for him, because he hadn't expected to have such passionate supporters. He did not want to be a role model. However, his face paint also had one big advantage: without it, he was hardly recognized. So when he didn't feel like being approached on the street, he would just not put it on, dress differently and tie his hair together instead of fixing it with a lot of spray. In New York he had taken a stroll like this and had walked straight past Emily and Michael without them even noticing him.   
The towel was full of spots when he was done. There was only a slight blue shimmer on his cheeks, giving his face a morbid look. Dark rings lay under his eyes and his lips were cracked from the dry air in the plane. He had probably lost weight,too, even though he tried to build up muscles before every tournament. A larger muscle mass helped to resist the various elements that his opponents caused with their attacks. Normally his body withstood the strain well and only changed again when he switched to a lighter training routine after tournaments. But this World Championship was harder than anything he had experienced before.   
"You're getting too old for this shit, Kai," he said to his reflection before he reached for his toothbrush.   
Surprisingly, Soichiro was also at home that day. He often was away on business trips, or he stayed in the small flat he had set up in the Hiwatari Corporation headquarters in Tokyo. But this time he had probably made an effort to welcome him. And so, after Kai had unpacked, eaten something and slept for a short time - really finding no other reason to delay it any longer - he went to his grandfather's study and knocked.  
The room was only sparsely lit, there was a lamp on the desk and a floor lamp bent over a reading chair in the corner. The walls were filled to bursting point with bookshelves, some of which were only used as some form of status symbol, while others contained actually important files. Behind the desk were two windows, and between them, just above Soichiro’s head, hung a small Rembrandt in a wide, gilded frame. The old-fashioned furnishings were only broken up by a large flat screen, on which, as Kai knew, Voltaire also watched the most important Beyblade tournaments.   
When he entered, his grandfather looked at him. "Ah, there you are," he said, as if he didn't know to the minute when Kai had returned. He waved him over and Kai sat down on the chair opposite him. Voltaire crossed his arms. "So... final match?" he asked.   
"Hm."  
The old man looked at him. "Well done. And are you going to win?"   
Kai shrugged. "Maybe. I think so."   
"You fought well with Team Neo Borg," Soichiro said, "If Yuriy is doing his job, you will become world champion."   
He just nodded. Those were the warmest words he could expect from Soichiro. His grandfather was incredibly clumsy in such conversations. Since their family therapy had ended, they had reduced their conversation to a minimum again. Perhaps Soichiro would die one day without knowing that Kai was attracted to men, but it was probably for the best. It was none of his business, anyway.   
He had expected that their conversation would not last much longer, but surprisingly, Voltaire started to speak again: "I always knew you would fit in well with them. Even back then..." He interrupted himself, but Kai raised his head. "Are you talking about the Abbey?" The old man never spoke a word about that time. This was one of the reasons why it was hardly possible for Kai to deal with his sparse memories. He had already assumed that at some point he would have to search Soichiro’s archives for the old records in order to understand - possibly only after his death.   
"You were supposed to become a member of Borg from the beginning," Soichiro said, but Kai already knew that. "And Yuriy would have been your partner. The two of you would have won most of the fights, and Boris or Sergeij would only have had to do the rest.” On his face spread the joyless grin that Kai knew so well; his grandfather had hardly ever shown more positive emotions than that. "Basically, you have now done on your own what Volkov and I have always wished for."   
"How nice", Kai replied sarcastically, "We always hoped to fulfil your life's dream after all.   
Soichiro barely reacted to this teasing, merely raising his eyebrows - a facial expression that Kai knew had devolved upon him over time. There were so many little things that made it impossible to deny his family name.   
"Well, it amazed me," his grandfather finally started again. "I was sure that after everything that happened, especially with Black Dranzer, you wouldn't work together again in this way. It always seemed to me that there was too much envy between you.  
"Envy? Why?"  
"Because of Black Dranzer, of course. I should have known it would make you jealous. After all, you were infinitely ambitious even then." He let the sentence die away and sighed.   
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Kai said coolly and tried not to let his confusion show, "Black Dranzer was meant for me, so what could I have been jealous of?   
Soichiro raised his head and looked at him piercingly. His lips moved silently, as if he was searching for the right words. "Well, I guess you're right," he said, "After all, Black Dranzer was always yours.”   
Kai became impatient. The conversation had gone on too long for his taste, and besides, he had no capacity to talk to Soichiro about his fucked up childhood now. He would confront him after the finale. "May I go?" he asked.   
Soichiro hesitated briefly, then nodded and waved him off. "I have work to do anyway."   
Kai was not surprised. His grandfather would probably die at work too. It was a miracle that he hadn't asked Kai when he was planning to resume his own activities at Hiwatari Enterprises. Yes, the old man had actually managed to get him to work for the company, and that with the only thing he knew Kai could hardly refuse: Beyblade. Despite the trouble with Borg, in recent years Soichiro had put a lot of money into a subsidiary of Hiwatari Enterprises that specialized in the production of Beyblade parts - VolTech. And because he was such a cunning old dog, he had made Kai a shareholder of said company on his sixteenth birthday. The thirty percent of the firm he now owned was enough to make him interested in how much profit was coming around, but too little to be able to make a serious impact. Also, just like that Soichiro had managed to make sure Kai spent most of the time he was in Japan within the walls of the Hiwatari Enterprises headquarters. 

Kai’s phone vibrated as he walked through the gallery on the way back to his room. Of course it was Yuriy, and seeing his name on the display lifted Kai's spirits instantly.   
"Hey," he said as he picked up and was immediately annoyed by how soft his voice sounded.   
"Here’s your call, as promised. What are you doing?"  
There was a small bench right next to him on which Kai sat down. He stared at the portrait that was opposite him. "I have a larger-than-life picture of my grandfather in front of me. I hope your view is better."   
"Can't complain. The room is big, the bed is huge compared to the last ones, and I can see the sea. But one thing is funny, you know."  
"And what would that be?"  
"There used to be someone in the room with me who always would leave dirty coffee mugs on the table. Don’t know what happened to that guy, but he seems to be gone.”  
"Don't know who you’re talking about," Kai said and Yuriy laughed. That sound made the hairs on his arms stand up. He couldn't sit still, so he got up from the bench again and walked towards his room. He heard Yuriy exhale. Maybe he was smoking. "It’s strange without you."   
Kai shut the door to his room behind him and hummed in response. "Strange to be back again," he said. "How was the meeting?"   
"Uneventful. It is as we suspected - Kinomiya will have to beat F Sangre first. I don't know why they wanted me there in the first place. Kinomiya, I mean his brother, and Romero were complaining a lot, but there is no other way.”  
"What did they complain about?" Kai asked while sitting down on the windowsill. From here he could see the city, over which the sky was now glowing red.   
"The timing is unfavourable," Yuriy replied, "The additional battle will take place on the same day as the final. Apparently the BBA cannot book the arena for one more day because some pop singer is going to give a concert there.”   
"Hm.”   
"I know you don't like that. I don't like it either. But what would be the alternative? A three-way battle? You don't want that."  
"No," he admitted. He didn’t want some third party to mess with his battle with Kinomiya.  
"Tomorrow, the BBA is holding a press conference to announce the decision," Yuriy continued, "You don't have to be there."   
Kai laughed cheerlessly. "Yes, thank you."   
Once again they remained silent, and all of a sudden Kai felt like he could not spend another second in this house without going insane. He had to get out. "Are you tired?", he asked.  
"I am wide awake", Yuriy replied, "Why?"   
"Want me to show you around?" 

Bakuten was quiet at night. The city centre was small, with a few bars and arcades. The schools were located in the surrounding neighborhoods, there was a large industrial area by the harbour, and the parks were near the canal. In between there were residential areas with low-rise buildings and traditional houses, and power lines ran across the narrow streets. There were vending machines in some corners that gave yellowish light.   
They first went to a konbini, where they fetched cold green tea and some snacks, which took longer than expected, because Yuriy was fascinated by the selection and kept asking Kai what exactly was in the various bags he was showing him. Afterwards they walked towards the harbour, until Kai stopped in front of an empty warehouse.   
"Are you trying to murder me?" Yuriy asked mockingly, with a nod so the semi-darkness around them.   
The warehouse belonged to Hiwatari Enterprises but was no longer in use. A few years ago Kai had occupied the building, along with his first Beyblade team. "The Shell Killers," he explained to the redhead, who seemed surprised. "I did not know that. What happened to them?"  
"Scattered to the winds after I became team captain of the Bladebreakers." In the meantime, a new fence had been put up around the building; they couldn't get in. So they went back, wandering aimlessly through the streets, but avoiding the city centre. Sometimes they startled cats, who would then scurry away through the shadowed alleys.   
"I didn't want to believe in that stereotype," Yuriy said at one point, "but everything here really does seem to be tidy.”  
"Yes," Kai said, "It's terrible. At least you don’t have to read all the warning signs."   
"Hm. I like it better than Severodvinsk... or Moscow. We lived in Lyublino first and now... in a fucking Khrushchoba. You can imagine." Lyublino was not the most popular district in Moscow, but it was one of the cheapest. Kai didn’t know what to answer, so he just took another sip of tea. They passed by the park where Takao had given beyblading lessons before the tournament. Kai looked down at the tiny arena for a while. All that seemed like an incredibly long time ago. He had spent his days lying in the grass, listening to the muffled sounds of blades hitting each other. He had met You Know Who while working in Tokyo and had gone out with him a few times. His date knew nothing about beyblading. He did not associate anything with the name Kai Hiwatari. And so it had been easy to lie to him. Kai always made good use of the fact that he looked a bit older than he really was. And so they had ended up getting slightly drunk and making out in hidden places. It was all very exciting until it became too much. Before that, however, the Bladebreakers had found out purely by chance, as always. He could not hide anything from them it seemed. They never knew the details - nothing about the lie or the making out, that had been intense even when they were sober - but they knew enough. Kai always wondered if he was so obvious in that matter, because they hadn’t been overly surprised.   
And now he was here, and Yuriy stood next to him. "Let's go down to the river," he suggested. It was the old, familiar place where the Bladebreakers used to go to train. The embankment, the stairs, and the short stretch of riverbank were sparsely lit by street lamps. They sat down on a step at half height and unwrapped some of the sweets they had bought. Kai blindly shoved something in his mouth, which then turned out to be a sticky mochi.   
"I have to tell you something," Yuriy said at that moment. Kai, still chewing, just looked at him questioningly.   
"I have asked Daitenji to get us new visas."   
Kai swallowed, but didn't know what to say. Only slowly he became aware of the meaning of the words. "Wait, so you are not going back to Russia? But how...?"   
Yuriy turned away and looked straight ahead as he continued. "I talked to the others. We have no obligations at home. When we go back, we'll take on jobs, try to make ends meet and save up until we can apply for university. Not necessarily a bright prospect, if you ask me. - But if we work for the BBA, at least for a while, it's good money, and easy money." Now he turned to Kai. "And we could certainly use it. Daitenji said he can get us work visas, at least for a few more weeks. Until September, maybe.”   
"School starts in September," Kai said quietly, because it was the first thing that came to his mind.   
“Yes. That, too.”   
Kai stared at Yuriy, who seemed a bit taken aback. "We have also talked to Ivan," he continued, "It would be nice if he could come here, but he will probably stay in Severodvinsk and look after everything there. Besides, the guy is supposed to finish school next year. He's not gonna be able to study when he is hanging out here with us."   
Slowly the information seeped through Kai's brain. His team, and Yuriy, would stay here. With him.   
The other one had probably misinterpreted his silence, because his next question sounded a bit timid: "So what do you say?"   
Instead of answering, Kai grabbed him by the collar and - finally! - pulled him into a kiss. After a few seconds Yuriy paused briefly. "You taste like sugar." Kai just snorted and kissed him again. He didn't know what he was feeling at first. The question of how things should go on with them after the World Cup had weighed on him. Only now did he realise how much. Suddenly everything was light, easy, and confusing.   
Fuck, that meant they were serious, right? About all this?   
"Kai?"   
They broke away. For a moment he looked at Yuriy, who seemed a bit out of breath, then they both turned around. At the top of the stairs were Rei and Mao. They looked petrified, and deep down Kai could fully understand why. But Rei quickly managed to at least cover up his astonishment. He frowned and pointed at Kai and Yuriy. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked.   
If Kai had been here with any other person, he would have just rolled his eyes and told Rei to fuck off (please). He had always been indifferent to what others thought of him, and besides, in this particular case, his former team mate already knew everything he needed to know. But now Yuriy was with him and he had no idea how he would deal with an involuntary outing. His gaze wandered from Rei's face, which reflected mild interest, to Mao's, in which stood a distinct mixture of pure shock and a hint of embarrassment. He weighed possible responses in his mind, but never got around to saying one of them.   
"I don't know what you think, Kon." It was Yuriy who spoke up first. "But I think you're interrupting something here.”   
Kai turned to him in surprise. His companion looked up at the other couple challengingly. Rei looked slightly bewildered, but Mao let out an amused snort. She moved, took one or two steps to the side, and only now it became clear that she was holding hands with Rei. Of course Kai knew why the two were taking a walk in the middle of the night, but this gesture seemed to confirm everything. They had caught each other red-handed.   
"Well", Rei finally said, "What are we going to do now?" Apart from the initial surprise, he didn’t seem to be upset. Did he talk to Max? It wouldn't be surprising, between the former Bladebreakers nothing remained secret for long. And Max had to have suspicions by now.   
So Kai acted proactively. He stood up and held out his hand to Yuriy. Surprisingly, the redhead played along and let Kai help him up. Perhaps he enjoyed putting on a little show.   
"How about that," Kai suggested when they had joined the other two, "We didn't see you and you didn't see us. And you may have the stairs." Now both Mao and Rei blushed unmistakably. The latter gave the girl a questioning look and Mao nodded. "I think it's all right," she said before taking in the couple before her once more. Kai felt how Yuriy put his arm around him ostentatiously. Mao shook her head. "I would have expected to see Takao and Hiromi here, not you two," she admitted.  
"Oh believe me, they'll need a while to figure things out," Rei said, acting desperate. The giggle that Mao broke out into as a result sounded a bit artificial. Yuriy's grip became tighter and Kai took it as a sign that he wanted to end the conversation. This situation was unpleasant enough. "Well then", he said and fortunately everyone got the hint. They said goodbye somewhat awkwardly and then Kai and Yuriy disappeared into the darkness while the other couple stayed behind under the lantern.   
Only when they were out of earshot did they pause for a moment, then they started to chuckle almost simultaneously. "God, how embarrassing," Yuriy said.   
Kai noticed how the tension dropped away from him. "Hiromi and Kinomiya? - What the fuck just happened?", he asked honestly perplexed. Whatever it was, it was reason enough to have a smoke, so he started looking for cigarettes in his pockets. But he didn't get far, because suddenly Yuriy grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him into another kiss. They stood in the darkness and Kai felt more than he saw. His hands and face were cold, but for once, Yuriy's lips were the opposite, and after a while he thought he could taste the green tea on the other's tongue. He pressed himself against him and slid his hands under his jacket, up his back. The grip of his fingers made Yuriy shiver.   
They broke the kiss, but remained in their embrace. “Let’s go somewhere else,” Yuriy suggested. “You wanna come back to the hotel with me?”   
Kai paused. Of course he wanted to, and several versions of how the rest of the night might develop appeared in his mind. But if somebody saw him at the hotel tomorrow, when he was supposed to be at home, there would be questions. "Is that a good idea?" he said, and Yuriy growled reluctantly before burying his face in his hair. Again he was so close to him that he could smell the scent of his clothes and skin. Kai closed his eyes. “There probably is a back door, right?” 

Nobody saw them. Even the reception desk was not occupied, although there was light in one of the back rooms. They crept through the lobby as quietly as possible and called the lift. The lift, however, arrived with a loud gong that rang through the hall, which first startled them and then, when they were already standing in the cabin, made them laugh again. The corridor leading to Yuriy's room was covered with a thick carpet that almost completely muffled their steps. It had an ugly grey-violet pattern and equally ugly abstract art hung on the walls between the doors. Finally, Yuriy unlocked one of the rooms, pushed Kai in and closed the door behind them. When Kai turned around, the other smiled at him mischievously. The light was dimmed, the blue eyes seemed strangely bright as they followed his movements. Kai strolled over to the bed and sat down, then Yuriy came to him, bent over him and pushed him backwards while they kissed. It wasn't the first time they were so close, they had spent a lot of time like that in some hotel beds by now. Kai briefly thought about taking Yuriy’s shirt off, but he wasn’t sure what that might lead to. And if it wasn't a bit too early for that. The redhead's body reacted reliably to his touches, he had noticed this some time ago, but as if in a silent agreement, they never went beyond a certain point. Which didn't mean that he didn't want to - basically he wanted a lot, and it wasn’t easy that Yuriy didn’t seem as eager. Kai suspected that Yuriy hesitated because all that was happening between them was new to him, but it still seemed a bit odd. He didn’t want to think about it too hard now, though, just wanted to take what he could get.   
After a while, they broke away. Silently they looked at each other and Kai raised his hand to grab a strand of red hair. The look from the blue eyes made him nervous in a pleasant way; he still couldn't quite grasp what was going on between them, and moreover, how good it felt.   
"You've created quite the mess, Kai."  
He raised his eyebrows. "Huh?"  
"With me."  
"Oh." He let go of Yuriy’s hair. "I was wondering if..." Kai paused. "I don’t know - you seem so confused sometimes."   
Yuriy took his time to answer, and that didn't make it better. Finally he sighed. He lay down next to Kai and put his cheek on his crossed arms. "I am confused," he then said, "I have been confused for years. I mean...in the Abbey, being attracted to other people was just not an option. But since we're out - sometimes it seems to me that there is nothing else on people’s minds."  
Kai turned his head so they could look at each other. "Were you with anyone after the end of Borg?" he asked cautiously. That was something he had wanted to know for a long time, only there had never been a chance to talk about it.   
"Boris keeps dragging me to parties," Yuriy replied, "He's met a lot of new people, and he tried to set me up a couple of times. So yes, there have been a few women..."  
"So you like both?"   
Again Yuriy sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I've gone out with women before because that's what most people do. I never questioned it, it was just, uh... not important to me."   
Kai said nothing. For him there hadn't been a fixed moment when he had realised that he liked men. He had somehow always known it, or at least he hadn't been surprised when he started to develop sexual feelings towards men. And when he actually had his first experiences with guys, and it felt good, that was confirmation enough. He could only begin to understand how Yuriy felt.   
"I think Boris was more worried about me in this respect than I was myself," the redhead continued. "For me, I take what I need and that’s that. But now you are here. And that's a bit different. I'm just now beginning to realise what all this...means."   
"Look, I'm sorry if I made you feel any--"   
"No you don’t," Yuriy interrupted him and he was right. Kai did not manage to regret what happened between them. "Okay, no, I don’t," he repeated, raising his shoulders, "Sorry, you're just hot."   
"Thanks. Tell me more."   
"Pff, what are you dreaming about at night?"   
"But compliments are good for your confidence."  
"Then where are my compliments?”   
There was no reply from Yuriy. Kai already assumed he had silenced him and wanted to turn on his side with a satisfied grin when he started talking again. "You're just... I don't know. I haven't found a word for it yet."   
Yuriy sat up and left the bed. Kai thought he could see a faint blush on his cheeks, but the other turned his back on him and apparently looked for something in his bag. Then he came back, holding a packet of tobacco and cigarette paper in his hand. Kai opened his mouth to ask if he could not afford any more readymade cigarettes when he saw that there was more than just tobacco in the pack. "Wait, how did you get weed through security?" he asked, while Yuriy's long fingers were already putting the filling into the paper and rolling it into shape. "Secret," replied the redhead. After briefly moistening the paper with the tip of his tongue and rolling it up again, which looked like he had done it a thousand times before, he held up his joint. "Kyrill Pavlovich recommended it," he finally explained, "Apparently he read some studies about medical marijuana for psychological problems. Also, this is not the weed you get on the street. It mostly let's you calm down. It's a pretty new thing but he said I should give it a try. I don't do it often, but now seems like the perfect time."  
"He didn't say anything like that to me," Kai said, sounding almost a little offended. Yuriy stood up and went to the window. It reached down to the floor, but there was no balcony, only a waist-high railing. The redhead beckoned him over. "Want some? It helps with nervousness before the final."   
"Sure." Kai normally stayed stone sober during tournaments, but they were several hours away from the next appointment - and besides, he wouldn't say no to anything that would silence the thoughts about the finale that were constantly circling in the back of his head.  
They drew the thick curtain shut behind them so that the smoke would not be blown into the room, and leaned against the window frame. Yuriy lit the joint and took a deep drag before passing it on to Kai. "Have you ever?" he asked and Kai nodded. "I go to a rich boys school. Shit goes down before the sessia," he replied. Before the exams, most of his classmates used every means possible to relax. Kai actually didn't like the smell of weed much, but he had said yes to an offered joint before, if only to secure his reputation.   
"So you're nervous too," he noted, returning to Yuriy's statement from a few minutes ago.   
"About the final match, you mean? Yeah, sure," replied the redhead. "I don't want to lose to that monkey boy again."   
"He's really pushed all the right buttons with you, huh?"   
"Maybe." Yuriy blew out a puff of smoke, then let Kai go again. After a while, he felt his mind calm down. Yuriy had found a pleasant mixture of weed and tobacco, and it was obvious that his leader didn't smoke the same crap that people at his boarding school dealt with. The smoke was quickly blown away as they were on one of the higher floors and a strong wind was blowing around the building. However, this also meant that Yuriy had to relight several times.   
"Tell me", Kai began, when once again the click of the lighter next to him sounded, "What are these problems for which Cyril Pavlovich prescribes smoking pot?"   
"Anxiety, mostly," Yuriy replied unmoved. The joint was stuck in his mouth and just caught fire again. Perhaps it was also the drug's merit that he answered without thinking about it. "Another one of those tics from the abbey. At the very beginning a lot of things - and I mean stupid everyday things - caused panic attacks with me. That's much better now, but when I'm stressed, it can get worse. Beyblade tournaments in particular are actually not good for me at all." He grinned tiredly. "And of course I gotta be super careful with my head. And often I can't fall asleep. Don’t you have that, too?"  
"No. Not like that." Kai concealed that the opposite had happened to him. After the collapse of Borg and the downfall of the Abbey; after he had apprehended the role Soichiro had played in the whole thing; when he had realised that a large part of his childhood memories had been buried in his head for many years and that he might never would be able to recover all of them - all he had wanted to do was sleep. He had become lethargic, and Cyril Pavlovich had had his fair share of trouble figuring out the best way to kick Kai's ass. For a while he had been taking pills, something to energize him. Fortunately that was no longer necessary, but he still kept some for emergencies.   
He wanted to ask Yuriy about their childhood. Wanted to know whether he at least remembered the important things correctly, or whether there was more to it. But he held back. It was the wrong time. And his mind was already starting to wander.  
They remained silent while they finished smoking, and after Yuriy had put out the last stub on the railing, they leaned over the metal pole and looked at the city. Further back, the sea spread out black and stars could be seen here and there, although most of them remained hidden thanks to light pollution. Their arms touched and Kai enjoyed the closeness of the other. He sensed the feeling of lightness that was now within him. When he now thought of the Championship finale, there was no nervousness or pressure. He would play against Kinomiya and one of them would win. It was as simple as that. And if he lost? Then there would be a new plan. What if he won? Well... he laughed softly.   
"What is it?" Yuriy asked.  
"I just realised," Kai said, "I have no idea what to do if I win against Kinomiya."   
"What?"  
"No, seriously! What are you supposed to do if you are world champion?"  
"You're unbelievable!" Now Yuriy laughed too, and it took them quite a while to pull themselves together.   
At some point it became light outside. They lay in bed, Kai had leaned his head on Yuriy's shoulder and the redhead had put his arm around him. They had only slept for a short time and had woken up when the sky just started to change colour. The window was facing west, so they would not see the sunrise, but they would see the sea, as it took on a pastel shade.   
Kai moved. "I have to leave soon," he said. He didn’t want to risk running into reporters who should be arriving soon for the morning press conference.   
"I'll smuggle you out, no worries," Yuriy said quietly.   
Kai did not reply, but grinned faintly. So much had changed in just one night. He had returned to Japan with the nagging feeling that everything was soon over - first the World Cup, and then being with Yuriy because Neo Borg had to go back to Russia. Even though he longed for the final and the fight against Kinomiya, he also had wished he had six more weeks. But now it seemed that the best part of this weird journey would only start after the tournament.   
Finally he straightened up. "I must go." From this position he could see himself in the mirror hanging over the small desk. The view had not improved compared to the previous day: His hairstyle was completely ruined and his face had a feverish glow. He ran a hand through his hair a few times, but that didn't help much.   
"Do you want my hoodie?" Yuriy suggested and he nodded. So they both stood up. Yuriy pulled a black sweater out of his bag and then crawled back under the duvet while Kai straightened his clothes. "When are we meeting today?" he asked after he had stuck his head through the neckline of the sweater.   
"Training at two," Yuriy replied.   
"You’re such a bully."   
"I'm still your team leader, no matter how much I like making out with you."  
"Yeah, yeah." Kai sat on the edge of the bed once more to give him a kiss, maybe to prove him wrong. And Yuriy pulled him closer, his lips belied his words.   
"Thanks for tonight," he said as they parted.   
"Are you getting romantic now?"   
"From now on, I want to smoke pot romantically with you always, please."   
"I knew it," Kai said, adding, "If anyone finds out about this, we'll be so disqualified."  
"Totally," Yuriy repeated with a grin.  
So they said goodbye and Kai stepped out into the corridor, where fortunately nobody was to be seen. The other rooms here must have been rented out to the BBA as well. But it was still early and he estimated that most of the bladers would sleep late after the flight the day before. Quietly he walked across the carpet and called the lift. While he waited, he crossed his arms and noticed how much the hoodie smelled of Yuriy.   
The doors slipped open, but someone was already in the lift. It was Mao. "Oh", she said when Kai entered, "So if you're here, that means what happened earlier wasn’t a dream."   
"Hn", Kai replied, "What are you doing up?"   
"I'm on the way back to my room."   
He put one and one together. She must have been with Rei. He looked at her sharply and Mao blushed. "Stop staring at me!"   
"Sorry." They were silent. The lift came to a halt and the doors slid open. Mao pushed herself off the wall and stepped into the hallway, but turned back to him again, holding the door open with one hand. "You and Yuriy - I just wanted to say, I'm okay with that."  
Kai was honestly surprised. “I thought we seriously shocked you."   
"Oh no. I mean, I knew about you. Just not about Yuriy."   
"Did Rei say anything?"   
She hesitated, maybe regretting her last sentence because Kai had sounded pretty sharp. "No, not Rei," she said. "Takao dropped some hints. In Madrid. We met one evening because the BBA Revolution had these recordings of Barthez Soldiers."   
Kai suppressed a moan. Kinomiya, of course. "So now everyone knows what I'm into?"   
"No!", Mao hurried to say, "Well, Baihuzu and the PPB All Starz were there. And Takao just said that you... you're dating men."  
Well, there was not much more to say, and Kinomiya didn't know much more. And it was all Kai's fault that the Bladebreakers even got wind of it. He never meant to tell them about him dating You Know Who, but then that jerk had had to surprise him one day by showing up in front of the Dojo. Admittedly, the others were fussing more about his car than the fact he tried to kiss Kai in front of their eyes. He could've lied to them, but they were not blind. And they probably had their suspicions anyway.   
It occurred to Kai now that Kinomiya probably didn't mean any harm when he talked about such things. The champion never condemned people, his only mistake was to assume that everyone else had as much acceptance as he did.   
Mao finally said good-bye and he hurried to leave the hotel unseen. He pulled the hood over his head and turned to walk towards a small park that was right next to the building. Behind it was a larger street where he stopped a taxi to take him home. He sat on the back seat and leaned his head against the doorframe. The street lamps were still on, but the sky was already light blue and the sun was rising behind the hills. And suddenly he was sure that he was happy now, in this moment, despite everything.   
He could not wait for this damn tournament to finally end.


	9. Bakuten II - Final I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack. Thanks to the anons on tumbr that reminded me it's been too long since the last chapter. And thanks for all your reviews, kudos, and love <3

_F Sangre vs. BBA Revolution  
Battle Royal  
BBA Revolution vs. Neo Borg_

The last training session before the final.   
The BBA centre was closed to the public so that the teams could train undisturbed. But of course the press had positioned themselves in front of all entrances. Kai had originally wanted to take the underground, but Daitenji himself had phoned in advance and advised him against it. The city was teeming with fans. And so he got an involuntary big entrance, because as soon as the car - Soichiro’s sleek limousine - stopped in front of the building, they were surrounded by a sea of flashing lights and screaming reporters. And a large crowd of fans, which was new to him. Although he was one of the most famous beybladers in the world, there seemed to have been a consensus among fans in recent years that nobody should come too close to Kai, as everyone knew of his aversion to loud crowds. This unwritten law apparently had been overruled.   
Kai took a deep breath and pushed his way through the crowd. He heard them murmuring his name first and then screaming when they recognized him for sure. Hands reached out for him and some got hold of his scarf, but they always let go before the fabric stretched too much. When he briefly looked up, he was a little surprised to see so much enthusiasm on their faces. A couple of little boys stared at him with their mouths open wide, one of them wearing a baseball cap already bearing the autographs of other bladers; Kai could make out Max's scrawly writing. "Kai!" cried a girl standing right next to him, "Kai, please!” Something in her voice made him pause. She had sounded so insistent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some BBA employees peering at him, probably trying to estimate if he needed help. He could easily make his way to them. Or should he go over to his fans? The question was ridiculous; Kinomiya and the others loved to take a bath in the crowd, so he should be used to that. But he had always held himself back. Many people simply did not dare to talk to him. And yet they stood in front of him now. What could he say to them? What the hell did people say to their fans?   
But now it was too late to think about it, because almost unconsciously he had approached the girl and the little ones. Her eyes widened, but fortunately she didn’t shriek. Instead she suddenly became quite nervous. "Oh shit", she mumbled; she seemed as unprepared for this encounter as he was. She didn't move, neither did the boys around her, and so a very strange moment arose in which Kai and his fans just watched each other, not sure what to do.   
"I think now would be a perfect moment to ask me for autographs or something", he finally suggested and immediately the girl started to move. She grabbed the boy with the baseball cap and pushed him forward. "This is my brother Ginka! Please sign his cap, that would be the greatest thing for him!" The brat nodded violently and tore the cap off his head to hold it up to him, together with a pencil.   
"Thank you, thank you, thank you", his sister murmured, while Kai put his signature between Max's and Julia's, "And - that was a great match in Sydney! We could literally feel the heat of your attack, it was so cool!"  
"You were there?" Kai asked and gave the little one his cap back.   
"Yes, we really wanted to see all the teams, not just the final!" said the girl.  
"But it’s such a long journey...", he murmured and thought back to the exhausting flight from Sydney. But she only raised her shoulders. "It was great. Thanks! - Um... can I take a picture?”  
Kai immediately became uneasy at the thought of having to pose next to his fans. "No!" he said, maybe a bit too fast, and then he added a "Sorry". But the girl remained unimpressed. "Okay, too bad. But thanks again!" And her brother nodded, again, very violently. Then they let him go. Shortly afterwards, some BBA staff came to his aid and stopped the others from following him inside. The noise dropped to a tolerable level as soon as the doors closed behind him.   
The whole entrance hall was full of bladers. A few metres away, Max and Rei chatted with Kinomiya. When Max noticed him, he waved at him effusively, but before Kai could raise his hand the other two turned around as well. The scene brought back memories from their days as Bladebreakers. Rei smiled at him. Kinomiya's facial expression remained strangely indistinct - Kai had thought he already knew every facet of Kinomiya’s emotions towards him: There had been moments when the other one smiled like the sun on a summer day when he saw Kai, and others when the exact opposite happened. Sometimes he cursed in a suppressed way (or even openly), sometimes he seemed caught or nervous, sometimes he clenched his hands into fists as if he wanted to throw himself at Kai in pure rage. And today - was that a thoughtful face?   
Maybe they expected him to come over and complete the old picture of the Bladebreakers. But he was spared that decision, because at that moment someone stepped up right next to him and he inhaled the smell of hairspray and cigarettes. "What's going on here, class reunion?" Yuriy asked. When Kai turned around, Boris and Sergeij were there too. Boris looked tired, but Yuriy was unusually energetic. "I got the key to our room. Rebyata, poydem!" Their leader shooed them towards the back of the building and Kai didn't have time to look back to his former team.   
While they made their way through the entrance hall, Kai exchanged a look with Boris and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I've finished the part you wanted," his team mate said curtly, "your new Spin Gear.”   
"You really pulled it off, Kuznetsov," Kai replied in honest appreciation. Boris really was a genius. He hadn't expected to get the Spin Gear any more. In his bag, besides all the other parts of his new Dranzer, there were alternative turbos, but they were nowhere near what he had wanted. Now Kai was glad that he did not need them.   
They entered their training room and Boris handed him a small cardboard box. "Don't be surprised about the white gearwheel, it's an old one from Wolborg," he said, "And I want to be there when you give it a test run, okay?!   
An hour later Kai had assembled his blade and completed the last adjustments. Meanwhile, Yuriy had won one training match after another against their teammates. He was in really good shape and Kai found himself looking up from his work regularly just to watch him. At some point they took a short break and Sergeij and Boris left the room to get more water. Kai got up and went to Yuriy, who had sat down on the small podium. The redhead was sweaty, he had taken off his jacket, his skin that was visible over the neckline of his black shirt was shiny. Fine strands of hair stuck to his temples. His breath was still heavy when he looked up at Kai, who had to admit that he liked this sight.   
"A new Dranzer, huh?" Yuriy asked and nodded his head towards the table where Kai had been working, "Do you want a trial round?   
"I promised Boris." Besides, Wolborg would run the risk of being seriously damaged, and they couldn't afford that. The last training before an important fight was never done at full intensity - the risk of damaging the blade or injuring the athlete was far too high.   
Kai sat down next to Yuriy. "You should take it easy," he said.  
Yuriy nodded and then looked thoughtfully. "Will you do it?" he asked then and Kai knew immediately what he meant. "The red comet? Yes, if I have to. And I guess I do."   
"Probably," Yuriy confirmed. "But I think you're ready. I've shown you everything I know. Just promise me one thing" And with that he suddenly turned to Kai. "Only do it when you're absolutely sure. You must not doubt for a second or you will turn Suzaku's energy against you.”  
"I know…," Kai murmured, but that wasn't the answer Yuriy wanted to hear. So he started again: "I will be careful."   
The other did not believe him, that much was clear. But now it was too late for promises of this kind.   
"Can I tell you a secret?" Yuriy asked after a short pause. Kai smiled briefly, but the next words were more serious than he expected: “You know, despite the brutal training I didn’t hate using the Holy Beast Weapon. Actually I looked forward to it. Because it gives you such an overwhelming feeling of power. I felt invincible, at least for a short time, before everything came crashing down again. It is weird, and dangerous, and you can’t possibly tell what will come out of it. I thought I had destroyed everything, and it was frightening, yes, but also exciting. Because _I_ had done it. I felt so powerful. Like when fucking Robert Oppenheimer said _Now I am become Death, the Destroyer Of Worlds_ after his first atomic bomb went up.”   
“It’s a quote from the Bhagavad Gita,” Kai said, “And he misunderstood it.”   
“The what?”  
“Nevermind.” Kai’s mouth had become dry, so he swallowed. “And you never have told anybody?”  
“Never,” Yuriy confirmed. "Quite a few people asked me what it was like to use the Holy Beast Weapon. The BBA. The PPB. Volkov. But in the end, I never told anyone about it - nobody but me should know how it feels. At least until now."  
Kai said nothing. He thought of the words.   
Now I am become Death, the Destroyer Of Worlds.   
They remained silent for quite a while before Yuriy finally changed the subject out of the blue: "Just one more match, then it's over.” It didn't sound sad, on the contrary.   
Kai didn’t know what to make of that. He put his hand on Yuriy’s, simply because he wanted to touch him. He had been restless all day. He didn't like the fact that there would be two matches tomorrow. Even if Kinomiya beat F Sangre, he would be weakened afterwards. Kai wanted a fair fight between them. If he only won because Kinomiya was not up to scratch, his victory was meaningless.   
Yuriy must have noticed how his facial expression changed. "I am sure Sumeragi and Kinomiya will win their match tomorrow," he said, "And then we will both get our revenge for Rome.”   
"But don't you think it will be an unequal match?"   
Yuriy's gaze became icy. "I know you don't agree," he replied, "but there's only one thing that counts for me: winning this title! I don’t care whether my opponents have a disadvantage or not."   
Kai frowned, once again he noticed the vehemence with which Yuriy spoke of wanting to become world champion. Something, be it his tone of voice or the determined expression in his eyes, made him feel that there was more to it than his leader admitted.   
"What's wrong, Yuriy," he tried one last time, and when the other acted surprised, he crossed his arms. "Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. You don't just want to defeat Daichi. Or gain fame and glory. Damn it, I don't even think you really want to be world champion! So why is this victory so important to you?"   
Yuriy sighed. He raised his hand and stroked Kai's cheek. "I can't tell you," he finally replied. "Not yet. But I have to win this tournament and for that I need you. So please don't do anything stupid."   
"Why should I?"  
"I know you well enough to know that your damn pride leads to stupidity, Kai."  
Kai didn't reply to that, because he couldn't make him that promise. The thought to defeat Kinomiya just because of an unfair advantage was unbearable to him. He bowed his head towards Yuriy's hand and closed his eyes. "Will you tell me after the final?" he asked. Yuriy's thumb moved slightly over his mouth and he bent forward a little. "Okay," he whispered before kissing him.   
Who was seducing whom? Did Kai do it to make Yuriy think he was using his advantage over Kinomiya? Or Yuriy, to keep Kai from asking any more questions? Whatever it was, none of them managed to be annoyed about the fact that it worked. 

"I don't like this."  
He felt Yuriy's eyes bore into him, but he ignored it. Boris and Sergeij turned to him, they could not hide their astonishment.   
The BBA Revolution had just won the match against F Sangre. They had one hour until the final battle.   
"What's wrong with you two," Boris asked, "Everything is going as you wanted it to.”   
"And they are weakened," Sergeij added.   
Yuriy crossed his arms. "You know the BBA revolution. When they are weakened, they fight all the harder." Then he looked at Kai again, this time with a silent warning, and Kai closed his eyes briefly. He had to ignore that.   
"Boris, Sergeij," he said, "I have a favour to ask of you.”   
He exchanged a long look with Boris. His teammate raised his eyebrows, he understood what Kai wanted from him, but maybe he couldn't believe it. Kai hoped to appeal to his ambition and pride, of which Boris possessed far more than Sergeij. With the right words you could get him to do what you wanted him to do quite quickly.   
In fact, shortly afterwards, he stretched his chin a little and said, "Okay.”   
At that moment, Yuriy's hand slammed on the table, and they all flinched. "No!" he said to Kai, but also vaguely to the other two, "You're not going to battle them right before the final!"   
Kai's chest became tight. Suzaku pressed against his diaphragm from below like a hot iron. Heat rose into his head. "This is my match and my decision!" he said.   
"And I am your team captain and I won't allow it!"   
Suddenly they were facing each other, the table between them. Kai could not believe that they had reached that point again after such a long time. That senseless trial of strength. But he was sure he would fight with his leader if he had to, because his pride would not allow him to fight Kinomiya like that.   
Surprisingly, it was Boris who stood by him. "Listen, Yura, let him be," he said, his eyes twitching in Kai's direction, "We still have to test the new Spin Gear anyway.”  
"You should have thought about that before," hissed Yuriy.   
"I know, the timing is really bad. But honestly - I've been waiting for weeks to punch Hiwatari in his pretty face. And now he even asks for it voluntarily. Sorry, but I will have a word with him, even if I have to wait until you go to your match.”  
Sergeij, whose attention had been on Kai, turned to his teammate. Yuriy, too, stared at Boris from wide open eyes, it seemed impossible that his outrage could increase. Then he abruptly turned away. "Boris," he said over his shoulder, "Come with me."   
Boris sighed and rose clumsily. He tapped Sergeij on the shoulder briefly, as if to say that he shouldn't worry, then followed Yuriy into the corridor.   
Kai let out the air in his lungs and noticed his hands relaxing. Suzaku also sank back again, leaving his face feeling cooler. But a subliminal blaze remained in his stomach.   
"Don't worry,” Sergeij said behind him, "They'll be back in a minute, and then you'll get your battle with Boris.”   
"How can you be so sure?" How could he know what they were talking about out there? Maybe Yuriy would finally break his silence and explain to his best friend why he was so obsessed with their victory. Then at least someone would know what was driving him.  
"I've known them for most of my life. It's always like that." So in the end, Boris was the only one who could talk Yuriy into a conscience. Kai was almost relieved - after all, it meant that there was someone to whom Yuriy could open up completely. And with a little luck, this would end to his advantage today. For the first time he hoped Boris would find the right words.   
Sergeij was right. After a few minutes, the two of them came back and Yuriy fell heavily onto his chair while Boris strolled to his seat. But instead of triumphant, he seemed more thoughtful, a little tense.  
"All right," Yuriy finally said, arms crossed, "You'll get your battle, Kai.” Nothing more, not even an explanation of his change of heart. He seemed anything but satisfied with his decision.   
"We'll make you fit for Kinomiya," Boris added, "And then you'll let your Krasnaya Kometa fly."   
"His what?" Sergei said. Kai could tell by the look on Yuriy's face that he must have told Boris what they had been secretly training for in the last few days. Until now they had kept this information under wraps, the fewer people knew about it the better. He would not have expected his leader to break the silence now. What was that all about? He had no intention of using the Krasnaya Kometa against Boris and Sergei - it simply wouldn't work without at least destroying the room they were in. His teammates now measured him silently, as if to assess whether he was up to the attack. But he just leaned back and closed his eyes. Let them think what they wanted. Suzaku wrapped him up in a pleasant warmth, as if to tell him not to let the others upset him. She directed his thoughts towards the match and he almost automatically sank into them, telling himself that he needed focus. 

"Well," Yuriy said some time later, "I gotta go."   
They left the room with him and walked along the half-lit corridor. The murmuring of the crowd in the stadium was heard everywhere here like a steady bubbling. Kai noticed his senses sharpening, he wanted to get out and finally start his fight. How many weeks had he been working towards this now? But no, it had not just been weeks, it had been years. Ever since the day Kinomiya had beaten him at the Japanese Championships, before the Bladebreakers had even been founded, he had been longing for this moment. The perfect climax of his Beyblade career. Or rather a perfect finish?  
"Give him a good thrashing, Yura," Boris said, punching the redhead against the shoulder. He replied with a tired smile: "Don't worry."   
Then he looked at Kai and in their silent exchange lay more than they could say with words. Yuriy was emaciated after the last weeks, it must be a relief for him, too, that the upcoming match was his last. Wolborg gnawed at him like Suzaku did at Kai.   
"Leave my team in one piece," he finally said, "See you out there."   
Kai nodded and grabbed Yuriy's hand briefly. At that moment, their previous fight was forgotten and for a second he regretted his decision not to see his partner's fight. He wanted to be there with him. Yuriy squeezed his hand before he released himself from his grip. Then he turned to the entrance to the stadium, a bright square yawning behind him. He had already taken the first steps in this direction when Kai's call made him pause once more: "Yuriy!” The redhead looked back over his shoulder. "Davai!", Kai said with a grin and Yuriy snorted before waving one last time.   
Almost immediately the corners of his mouth fell back down again. They didn't wait until their team captain disappeared into the light. Kai waved Boris and Sergeij to follow him and led them deeper into the building. Neither of them asked unnecessary questions when they reached a hidden room where there was an arena. Kai had been lost here by chance years ago after a far less important tournament and had been coming back ever since when he needed rest and wanted to train alone.   
It was only when the heavy metal door behind them fell shut that Boris raised his voice. "So, a Krasnaya cometa," he said. "Are you two completely nuts, Hiwatari? How did you get Yuriy to say yes to that?"   
"That’s none of your business", Kai replied coolly.   
"But it is. Yuriy shouldn't have to be reminded of all the shit with Volkov more than necessary." Boris crossed his arms. "Is that why you've been sweet-talking him all this time?"   
"This has nothing to do with each other," Kai said and instantly felt Suzaku rearing up inside him too. If he wasn't careful, they would goad each other within seconds and make him lash out, verbally or not.   
Boris raised his hands. "All right, don't breathe fire." But his voice sounded far less confident than usual. Something in Kai's outburst must have frightened him. Sergeij also seemed hesitant.   
"Are you afraid now or what?", Kai said loudly, then he went to the bowl, which yawned in the semi-darkness in front of them. Suzaku's impatience had passed over to him. He pulled Dranzer and the launcher from his pockets and got ready.   
"Kai, are you sure that..." Sergeij started, but Boris interrupted him: "Never mind now." He, too, had his launcher in his hand now and clicked Falborg up as he went to the bowl. "It's payback time, little Czarevich."   
That was a challenge to his taste. They started their blades. With a metallic crunch, Dranzer came up in the bowl and sparkled away. The eyes of the other two followed its trail. They sensed it: This was no longer the blade Kai had used to defeat Rei in Sydney. This one behaved differently, as if animated by brute force. Kai saw a hesitation in Boris' face, but it disappeared almost immediately. Falborg went on the attack, shot at Dranzer and pushed it back. "Ha!" he said, "All bark but no bite, but we already knew that.”   
"Do not provoke me, Boris," Kai said, "Do not." Suzaku was awake and ready, she sent groping, burning fingers through his bowels and made it clear what she wanted: to fight. This thought soon overshadowed all others.   
The next time Falborg came for him, Dranzer stopped it. He fought it off with a small swerve, but not for long. One thing you had to give Boris credit for: He could move at lightning speed and play out a row of successive attacks. A few weeks ago this could have been problematic for Kai, but now he felt as if he could foresee what his opponent would do next. He fended off every blow. Even Boris realised at some point that he couldn't hit him and he made a frustrated sound. His fiery temper would be his undoing.   
"Is that all you can do?" Kai asked mockingly, "No wonder Yuriy gave your place on the tag team to me.”  
"Shut your stupid mouth," Boris yelled at him and Falborg mimed his anger.   
"Or else what? You gonna run to Yuriy and have a good cry?" He hoped that Boris would now go all out and perform his Stroblitz attack, but strangely enough the exact opposite happened. Falborg let go of Dranzer and put some distance between them. Astonished, Kai raised his eyes.   
"You think you're so special, don't you, Hiwatari," Boris asked quietly, "Still the same little prince as before. Do you think you can do whatever you want with us just because Yuriy stared at your ass for a moment too long?"  
"Oh, please, Boris, don't be ridiculous." Dranzer shot forward and knocked Falborg off course, but it accelerated and skilfully dodged the next blow before countering. His precision was admirable; there weren't many who would catch Dranzer at such a speed. Nevertheless, Falborg’s attack power was too low, he could not do much to Dranzer.   
"Do you know what they said in the Abbey when you reappeared?" Boris asked, "There was a rather unpleasant rumour about you. That Voltaire had no use for you. That he wanted to get rid of you. Because you were simply too weak."   
Kai frowned. What was that about? He had known back then that the other children had whispered hostilely behind his back and had simply ignored it. At least until he had noticed that they not only whispered but laughed at him as well. For a moment Dranzer slowed down and immediately Falborg punched it.   
"Your own family sold you to the Abbey," Boris continued unperturbed, "And to Voltaire, you were just cannon fodder for Black Suzaku. Everyone believed that. And when you lost to Sergeij, that was just confirmation."   
"Why are you telling me this shit?", Kai asked irritatedly, he felt a sting at those words. Dranzer attacked its opponent briefly but violently. Kai still found it hard to stand it when he was called weak, especially in connection with the Abbey, where weakness didn't count for anything. And these memories, unlike all the others, were still fresh enough to make the frustration reappear in him.   
Boris's grin did not disappear, it became even wider. "Oh, I thought you'd like to know how that rumour came about," he said, "Or rather, who spread it."   
"Boris!" Sergeij interrupted warningly. .   
Kai said nothing. His teeth were clenched and Suzaku was bubbling like hot lava in his stomach.   
Boris tilted his head. "It was Yuriy."   
It was like someone threw a stone into the lava: It was spraying in every direction, every fibre of his body. "That's not true!" Disappointment sloshed over him, his emotions swallowing almost all rational thought. Somewhere very far back in his head, something whispered that he was overreacting, but the rage that surged inside him was so much stronger.   
"Oh, don't cry now," Boris said, "You’re not the only one who is good at this game. Yuriy does that all the time. Depending on whether he needs you or not. You know how manipulating he is. Or do you? Looks like you don't know him well enough after all. Otherwise you wouldn't be so surprised." The way he pronounced the words turned them into small, icy projectiles that bored into Kai, fuelling his anger even more. If Boris hoped to unsettle and weaken him, it backfired: Suzaku's power grew ever stronger. But Boris didn't seem to notice that, because he was still going on. "Well, I'm not surprised. After all, everyone knows that you can't be trusted, either. I guess Yuriy just wants to have a little fun before you run back to Kinomiya at the next best opportunity.”  
"Why should I believe you?" Kai could not hide that his voice trembled.   
"Because he told me so."  
For a moment he literally saw red. When Boris uttered these words, Suzaku tore down the last barriers Kai had given her. Later, he would not be able to remember what happened in those seconds. His perception only resumed when Falborg hit the wall behind Boris with a loud crash, while he stared at him from eyes wide open. The whole scene was illuminated by a column of flame, which collapsed shortly afterwards.   
Everything was silent. Then Kai noticed how hard he was breathing. He had to force himself to uncramp his hands.   
"Damn it, Kai," Boris, who hadn't moved from the spot, gasped, "You know I was just talking shit, don't you?"  
"What?!" Suddenly, Dranzer was on fire again and Boris backed off as the burning blade barely missed him. Even Kai was surprised at the life Dranzer had developed.  
From the corners of his eyes he noticed a movement. Sergeij walked up to them and stood next to Boris, Seaborg ready for battle. "What are you doing?", Boris asked.  
"It's better this way", Sergeij replied, "He can't face Kinomiya like that.”   
Boris' gaze wandered from his teammate to Kai, where it lingered for a long time. Then he nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll get Falborg."   
Kai did not move. While Dranzer drew glowing circles, he just waited, trying to understand what had just happened. This time Boris had really gone too far, his insult had hit him at a very sensitive spot and was still sitting deep. Kai, or maybe Suzaku, was looking for revenge.   
Finally Boris came back, Falborg was already on his launcher again. He and Sergeij gave each other a barely noticeable signal, then they started their blades at the same time and hit the bowl with force. It occurred to Kai that Dranzer's endurance had increased considerably - it had taken a few punches and was still spinning - but it hadn't lost any of its attacking power. The first attacks simply bounced off it.   
"Let her go, Kai," said Sergeij, "Let Suzaku fly!" As if to emphasise his words, Seaborg came closer again, its bit chip lit up. As the great whale began to rise above the bowl, Kai felt Suzaku moving in his body. She reacted to Seaborg, but differently than she would react to Seiryu and the others, or to completely alien Bit Beasts. It was not the first time he felt it, as if there was some kind of bond between Suzaku and the Borg Bit Beasts, but he could not put his finger on it. And he remembered the moment when he had seen Seaborg rising in front of him in the same way. The feeling of his powerless rage, not only at Sergeij, but especially at his grandfather and the whole Borg. And yet to have lost -   
It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered anymore.  
Finally, he allowed Suzaku to leave her shell. She enveloped him with her flaming wings that bathed the whole room in red light. Then she attacked Seaborg, while the blades in the bowl fought bitterly. Boris now interfered again and called Falborg. Dranzer and Suzaku were wedged in between the other two. Kai felt their pressure physically, an annoying wrestling of powers between his ears that swallowed all the noise. He saw the mouths of his teammates moving. A geyser erupted from Seaborg and Falborg produced razor-sharp gusts of wind that swept across the bowl towards him. A combined attack? He almost laughed, but it was not his, but Suzaku's scorn that echoed in him. He couldn't tell where his spirit ended and hers began, and certainly not which of them had the upper hand. But it didn't matter, they both wanted only one thing: to win this battle.   
Suzaku rose up towards the ceiling and all eyes followed her. Her light was blinding, but Kai had always been able to look at her without pain. He saw what others were denied, the fine golden feathers that sparkled with every movement, the shining claws, the burning eyes. She was so beautiful.   
Then she became fire. Suzaku pushed down on the blades and everything drowned in her destructive fury. 

The noise became quieter, but just wouldn't go away. The roar of the fans was only marginally noticeable, as was the look on Yuriy's face, which was a strange mixture of surprise, worry, and anger. His leader was pretty upset. Kai saw his mouth move, but the question did not reach him. He turned his gaze away from him and focused on the pedestal with the arena that loomed before him. There was Kinomiya. There was a slight shock on his face as well, and Kai realised that he probably looked worse than he thought. Well, Boris and Sergeij had done a good job, he had to give them credit for that.   
He dragged himself up the stairs to the arena and got ready, but DJ still seemed to be completely bewildered by his appearance. Kai shot him an impatient look. He had waited far too long for this moment. He was also afraid that his hands would start shaking as soon as his body realized what was at stake at that moment.   
A mechanical cracking sounded and all of a sudden the ringing in Kai's head stopped. Suddenly all the noises were crackling at the usual volume, the fans and Daitenji's voice echoing through the arena. It took a few seconds, however, before the content of his words made sense to Kai, and just as he understood that they would get a new stage, the ground around him dissolved. For a moment he became dizzy. Pain pulsed in his limbs and Suzaku, he only noticed that now, lay in his stomach like a big, glowing coal. The burning had never subsided lately, he had felt his Bit Beast day and night like a parasite, and by now he had even gotten used to it. But the battle earlier had made her stronger. She burned, and he burned with her. Sometimes, for moments not longer than a blink, he himself retreated into the background, looking at his body moving as if he had nothing to do with it, and Suzaku took the lead. She guided him, her thoughts were directed towards Seiryu, and there was nothing he could have done to stop her if she broke out now. But then he regained his composure and made himself noticed by her, so she could not ignore him. She needed him, and that was another reason why she was not allowed to damage his body.   
The stage opened up beneath him, a small wasteland of dust, sand and rock. Enough space to be able to lay out big attacks. Enough obstacles to make it exciting. The BBA had really outdone themselves.   
Kinomiya was now further away from him, but even now he could see the corners of his mouth lifting. They were probably both thinking the same thing - this stage was perfect.   
Kai looked at his opponent. He wasn't sure what he felt and his brain was too busy with other impressions: the pain, the burning, the sounds. Maybe it was good that he was not fully aware of the fatality of this moment. Only in passing, and much too late, had he realised that Yuriy and Sumeragi's match had ended in a draw. As if the pressure wasn't already big enough. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, it didn't matter. What mattered was the here and now and this fight.   
It had never been difficult for them to find a reason to fight. If Kai was honest with himself, he usually had quite some fun to rile Kinomiya up with some sharp comments here and there. And it worked so easily. The other took revenge for that by mercilessly using his knowledge of Kai's sensitivities when necessary. But there was one thing they absolutely agreed on: when they faced each other at a Beyblade match, it was all about that. No big words, no tricks. Just pure, brutal fighting.   
And so their battle began. Without hesitation, they sent Dranzer and Dragoon into a first, direct attack. When the blades met in the middle of the stadium, a recoil emerged that almost swept Kai off his feet. He threw himself against it at the last second, but there was no time to regain his balance, for the next wave was already following. The spectators in the stands gasped and screamed. Kai's thoughts raced, he hadn't expected such energy. Kinomiya also seemed stunned when their eyes met. Had they become so strong that their blades could no longer touch each other without triggering an explosion? Kai saw confusion, but no hesitation in Kinomiya's eyes, while around him the rock was already beginning to crumble. His opponent was not willing to stop the fight because of a few waves of energy.   
At his silent command, Dranzer pushed Dragoon away and took advantage of the loose rock fragments that were scattered everywhere. Dragoon got stuck between them and Kai was secretly thankful for that little breather - at least until the blade broke through the rock. For a moment Kai thought he couldn't fend off the attack, then Suzaku's heat twitched through him and somehow he managed to react with lightning speed. Dranzer hit Dragoon at the right angle and the white blade shot away, straight at Kinomiya. A moment later the air was full of stone splinters and dust.   
Kai was still busy with himself. What the hell just happened? For a moment he had seen the battle from Suzaku's eyes, much more detailed and much slower. Something similar had happened in the battle against Boris. Was that the result of their new, closer relationship? It seemed as if he had all the time in the world to think up a strike and execute it. And actually, he hadn't wanted to hit Dragoon back that hard...   
When the dust settled, Kinomiya lay face down in the arena. Shocked cries came from the BBA team, and for a moment Kai thought about how Hiromi would tear him off a strip for that after the fight. Then Kinomiya picked himself up again. He was unharmed, of course. It would not surprise him if Seiryu manipulated the air around him in such a way that he never had to fall hard.   
Kai didn't leave him any time to recover. No sooner had he formed the thought than Dranzer was on fire. It was uncanny how effortlessly his blade reacted, there was virtually no time delay between command and execution. Dranzer shot forward, but the air began to swirl around Dragoon. The storm was by far not the strongest Kinomiya could summon, but the sandy arena did the rest. Kai had to shield himself with his arms as the dust enveloped him. And then he felt the ground beneath him crumble away. There was no time to prepare for him to fall. His body hit some rocks and the remnants of the crumbled podest and a painful hiss escaped him. He rolled down the rest of the small slope and lay on his back, dazed.   
Up on your feet again, quickly. It was an ancient sermon he had heard in his Abbey days, and it applied to battles and brawls alike: If you take a punch, get up quickly, otherwise you'll stay down. And so Kai forced his legs and arms to lift him up again and carry him. And on it went. Attack, defence, attack, defence. In a strange way this fight was like all the others, always following the same pattern of action and reaction and prevention. There were still two sides and still an arena and still they were struggling to see who was the stronger, faster, better of them. Would that ever change?   
Even though every fibre of his body was focused on their battle, Kai's memories overpowered him. It was only a little more than three years ago that he had faced Kinomiya for the first time in this arena. Something had happened in that match, the first match the other had won. For a long time, Kai had thought that only his ego was scratched, because he was not used to losing. Especially against a child, like Kinomiya was back then. But there was more to it. Kinomiya was like the wind, fickle and hard to grasp, and whenever Kai thought he could finally get the upper hand again, he would strike back with the strength of a hurricane. He had never really managed to defeat him, despite his many weaknesses. And even though he often did not understand why Kinomiya did things the way he did, even though he was angry with him or sometimes just couldn't stand his mere presence, they were friends. And the reason why he always fled from Kinomiya was that he knew him better than anyone else. Takao Kinomiya had the ability to see through him completely. The uncanny thing was that Kinomiya was often a complete mystery to Kai. His carelessness, his trust in others fascinated him, and he caught himself thinking that he wanted to be the same, maybe just for one day. Was life better that way? Kinomiya, at any rate, managed to defeat him again and again, not least because of this positive attitude. It was the only thing that drove Kai to beyblade: to become even stronger, to finally prove to Kinomiya that he was good enough. With him he always had the feeling that he not only had to be a better blader, but also a better person. His rival also weakened at times, which was natural given his volatility, but Kai would not allow himself to be defeated by anyone else but him. If there was only one thing he could do for him, and that was to make sure that he too became better somehow, then it was worth all the effort.   
Suzaku pressed against his organs from within and erased all memories. He was back in the here and now, because she wanted to be free and fight. He could no longer hold her back. As soon as she rose above Dranzer, Kai felt Seiryu's energy. Normally he didn't notice the Bit Beasts of his opponents in such intensity. With Genbu, Byakko and Seiryu it had always been different. And so the power of the dragon passed through him, swirling Suzaku's flames.   
They set off for the final attack, Dragoon ignited a storm, but Kai was prepared for it. Now finally his training and Boris' precise work would bear fruit. Dranzer's delicate wheels began to work, Kai thought briefly of the white one that actually belonged to Wolborg, then the Spin Gear was activated and his blade released a whirl of flames.   
Kinomiya's Galaxy Storm stopped him, of course it did. The turbo was soon used up, but instead of retreating afterwards, Kai launched another attack. He hadn't shown everything yet, not at all. A short jerk went through his blade and he heard the second click of the Spin Gear, then Dranzer went into Reverse Turbo. From Kinomiya, and probably not only from him, came a surprised outcry.


	10. Bakuten III - Final II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite two smaller scenes pretty heavily because I didn't like them in the original, so here you go with the better version lol

It was hard to believe that this attack was ineffective. God, Boris would be furious. All that effort, only to have another tie after just a few minutes. Both blades lay motionless in the dust, and Kinomiya and Kai faced each other, breathing heavily. Kai felt no more pain, only heat pulsating inside him. Without the training with Yuriy, the connection with Suzaku could never have been so strong. Was Kinomiya feeling the same way with Seiryu? And if so, how had he been able to create this bond?  
Kai shook his head slightly, these questions would not help him now. Slowly he raised his hands and took off his scarf, the heavy fabric sank to the ground next to him. Kinomiya's baseball cap had fallen from his head, now he picked it up and brushed off the dust before putting it back on. Then they went to pick up their blades and get ready for the next round.  
"This is insane," Kinomiya whispered to him as they bent over at the same time to reach for Dranzer and Dragoon.  
"Scared, Kinomiya?", he whispered back.  
"You wish!"  
"Hn.” A grin dug into the corners of his mouth. Yes, there was a lot at stake, and not just for the two of them - but he was having a hell of a lot of fun as well.  
But then they were interrupted by Daitenji. Kai could hardly believe his ears when the old man actually tried to declare them both the winners of the tournament. Suzaku let wild flames flare up inside him and for a moment he had the feeling that he could breathe fire if he would only open his mouth. But then words burst out of him instead, all his indignation and anger. It wasn't fair to declare this fight as a draw now, not after all the hardships he had gone through in the last three damn years!  
Kinomiya remained strangely silent. Perhaps he was surprised by Kai's outburst. But from the other teams, who were now jumping up from their seats, he received approval. Rei and Max were there, and the other members of Baihuzu and the PPB All Starz. Daichi screamed something. Kai couldn't see his own team, but somehow he had the feeling that they were behind him. He did not want to turn around to look.  
Finally, and after some hesitation, Daitenji gave in.  
They were back on square one. A second chance, incredible: How many more chances did he need to defeat Kinomiya? He felt as if his life in the last years had consisted only of waiting for those chances.  
The blades collided, this time they were prepared for the energy released. More rocks broke, flew around them, but Kinomiya seemed to be just as unaware as Kai was when they were hit by splinters. The wind rose again, swirled and formed a pillar that reached up to the ceiling - where the hell was the ceiling?  
Kai didn't have time to think about it, although he suspected that it was partly his fault that bright sunlight was now shining down on them. Until Seiryu's thunderstorms came and covered the sky. Again he felt the dragon's breath on his skin - he couldn’t let it get too close.  
With a new Blazing Gig Tempest, Suzaku rose above Dranzer. Around Dragoon, the hurricane of the Galaxy Turbo Twister formed in the blink of an eye. Kai felt it tug at his clothes. More and more dust was stirred up and he had to blink it away fiercely. Where did Kinomiya get this strength? He must be at least as exhausted as Kai himself. He was sure that if they stopped the battle at that moment, he would simply lose consciousness. Only Suzaku's energy kept him on his feet, his body was unable to take anymore.  
At the last moment his Bit Beast saved him; Dranzer moved in precise harmony with his thoughts and the Zan attack cut the hurricane in half. But there was no time for a breather. They just kept on attacking each other.  
Kai felt his senses fade. He did not feel his body anymore. His field of vision was filled with a bright flickering, a glow that pierced through his head, then everything was dark.  
No, he was not unconscious. But _where_ was he? For a second he thought he was training with Yuriy again, shielded by his dome of ice - but it was much too warm for that. And that glittering above him - did that come from stars?  
Takao was here. He stood only a few steps away from him. Smiling. The arena had disappeared and with it the whole stadium, even the blades were no longer there. But the presence of their Bit Beast still surrounded them. Had Seiryu and Suzaku created this world?  
Questions were on the tip of his tongue, but he could not speak. The only thing that was safe in this environment was Takao. Let everything else fading away, he was there. As always.  
Their eyes bored into each other and a deep, inner peace filled Kai, which he had never felt before. Not even with Yuriy. The small voice in his head, which always wanted him to be better and stronger than all the others, fell silent. It left an emptiness, a silence, a relieving silence.  
Then Suzaku passed through his body, making it his own. He became her fire, everything in him was in flames and he really believed he was burning. For a moment he was sure she would sacrifice him to beat Seiryu.  
Instead, the Krasnaya Kometa grew. Suzaku guided him, her power flowing through him like a river through a narrowed bed - that was what he had trained for, but he could not have imagined what it was really like to carry out this attack. At that moment he believed every word Yuriy had said - just one wrong move and his body would be torn apart. Did Suzaku protect him despite everything? They were now one, and thanks to their senses he now felt all the other Bit Beasts in close proximity. Seiryu of course, he was like a lighthouse in the dark, then Genbu and Byakko and Gaia... Wolborg, Falborg and Seaborg. The others faded to a diffuse mass, but they were there.  
Behind him the red comet rose ominously. Its light fell on Takao, whose face showed a sudden realisation. What did he see? Did he only see Kai or did he see the metamorphosis he was in? He felt as if he was growing ghostly new limbs and Suzaku dictated the shape of his body. Everything was confused and at the same time there was a clarity in his consciousness that he did not know in this way. His gaze sharpened, and suddenly Takao's face seemed so close to him as if he was standing right in front of him.  
As always, Takao threw himself headfirst into his abyss.  
The last thing Kai saw was Seiryu, who came at him like a raging arrow.  
Then,  
he found himself lying on his back.  
The stars were still shining in the sky above him, his view was still fantastically clear. It was as if he could see the whole universe. And the peace within him remained as well.  
Takao lay beside him, so close that their arms touched. The feeling of Takao's skin on his was infinitely intense, as if he could feel into the other one, sense his emotions. The same peace. The cheerfulness that reminded him of leaves dancing in the wind. There was darkness in Takao too, of course, but not at this moment. And what about his own darkness, which took up so much more space? It too had disappeared, instead there were just smouldering embers in him. He had always thought that if his darkness disappeared, it would leave only an endless emptiness.  
He wanted to turn around and pull Takao into his arms. He had always been the one thing Kai could hold on to. Then why did they have to fight each other all the time? Maybe it was just their way of expressing affection. And after all, they were both children of their world as well. In their earthly life they would probably clash again and again.  
When Kai sat up he didn't feel any pain, although his body must have been badly battered. His gaze went far into the distance, the starry sky stretched to the limits of his consciousness. It was dizzying, so he turned away and looked at the only thing that gave him a foothold in this dream dimension: Takao. His gaze was directed upwards and so full of curiosity and astonishment that it made Kai smile.  
At that moment he felt a pull. As if something would reach for his soul and bring it back where it belonged. The stars faded, rising in a glow that at first seemed like dawn, but then everything was light.  
And the pain hailed down on him.  
His body pulled him heavily to the ground, a dry whistle escaped his lungs, every muscle screamed in a heat that only Suzaku could cause.  
All this overwhelmed him. He tried to bear it, to fight against it, to contain himself. But it did not help.  
Finally, his vision faded, and he fell into warm darkness. 

Kai dragged himself along the corridor to the changing rooms. In the distance the thunderous cheering could still be heard. They celebrated Takao. His mouth twisted, whether to a smile or in pain he didn’t know, probably it was a mixture of both.  
He was hot. So damn hot.  
He knew the temperature in the stadium was rather pleasant, even cool, but he could hardly breathe.  
Finally he reached the right door and stumbled into the room. Three heads turned to him, three pairs of eyes looked at him. He paused. For some reason he had not expected them to be here.  
Boris spoke first. "You look like shit, Hiwatari."  
He couldn't get out more than a gasp, if he hesitated any longer, his legs would give in. Carefully he put one foot in front of the other and then let himself fall onto the bench next to Yuriy. Boris and Sergeij also looked quite battered - and only now did he realise, with a little stab of remorse, how badly he had hit them - but that was nothing compared to their leader. Yuriy tried not to let it show, but he was trembling. Kai would probably hear his teeth chattering if he leaned forward a little more. Wolborg demanded her tribute.  
"Hey", he said to him and, after a short pause, "Snegurochka."  
The redhead could not manage to smile, but he rolled his eyes.  
There was a strange atmosphere between them. Kai found it difficult to look the other in the eyes. They had come so far, pulled themselves together and worked as a team - only to fail shortly before the finish line. Kai hated this feeling, he had been in situations like this a few times too often. But now his defeat hurt him not only for his own sake, but also because it affected Neo Borg as a whole. Whether they liked it or not, he felt connected to them. He had wanted to do a good job for the team, for which he had otherwise caused a lot of trouble. That somehow gnawed at him more than his own disappointment. He glanced at Yuriy, but the redhead would ignore that. He seemed deep in his own thoughts.  
Boris joined them and sat down on the bench opposite. The look he gave Yuriy was worried. "Well," he said, "What do we do now? We've lost."  
Nobody knew what to say. Finally, Sergeij, who had been standing a bit aside, came over and sat down, too. He couldn't suppress a quiet groan. Kai was tempted to apologize to him and Boris, if not for the battle against them, then at least for leaving them behind afterwards. His vanities suddenly seemed so insignificant, now that they were all here, a pile of misery.  
"Well, I blew it," he said, somehow meaning everything, "What can I say?  
Boris snorted and crossed his arms. "That Kinomiya! He shouldn’t have won this fight. We had the Krasnaya Kometa, damn it.”  
“But I mean,” Kai said, “He beat that attack before. Maybe it was silly to assume that wouldn’t happen again?”  
“Seriously, Kai, he beat your Blazing Gig Tempest, Zan, the Reverse Spin, and the Krasnaya Kometa. What is he, a machine?”  
“No, he is th-the complete op-posite,” Yuriy chimed in. As soon as he opened his mouth he seemed to lose all control over his trembling. “This guy is p-pure h-heart.” He breathed out shakingly. It was hard to tell what was going on in his mind right now. Was he mad because they had lost? Was he happy for Takao? As Kai was looking at his teammates he realized that they also didn’t know more than he did. But the thought was lost when a new wave of pain rolled over him. His insides seemed to cramp up. If only he wasn't so unbearably hot...  
“Kai I need to talk to you.”  
Yuriy’s words sounded neutral, but he immediately knew what this was about. Sergeij seemed to know, too, as he got up and sighed. “So I guess we’re taking a small walk and check if it’s safe to leave the stadium already. Come on, Boris.” The other one seemed a bit confused, but a quick exchange of looks with Yuriy was enough to make him rise to his feet as well. “We’ll be back,” he mumbled before following Sergeij.  
As they were alone, Kai took a deep breath. “Listen, Yuriy, I’m sorry-”  
“I told you not to do anything stupid,” Yuriy interrupted him icyly. “Now what was this match good for? You hurt my team, and you weakened yourself! And we lost! Do you even know what that means?”  
“No!” Kai yelled, whatever was left of Suzaku’s energy swelling up inside him. He felt how sweat was dripping from his temples. “I don’t fucking know what that means - apart from the fact that I am still only second best. As always.”  
“This is not about the stupid title, Kai.”  
He knew Yuriy would say something like that, but it hurt nevertheless. Because for Kai, it had been about that. The stupid title. Yes, it was stupid, but it would have been proof that he could be better than Takao. “Then what is it about?” he finally asked. “Talk to me! If it’s not about restoring your pride and becoming the best blader in the world again, what then?”  
Yuriy shook his head. “How strong is Takao, really?” he asked.  
“What?”  
“You heard me.”  
Kai was taken aback, but he tried not to get mad again, as it would have been useless anyway. “I mean, Boris was right,” he said, “Takao dodged everything I threw at him. And I know it sounds arrogant, but I was pretty sure to be the strongest here before today. He… put me in my place. Again. And I’m not even mad.” He sighed and briefly wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm. He needed a shower, and he needed Suzaku to calm down. His body couldn’t take much more of this, but her energy didn’t seem to weaken.  
Yuriy nodded. “That is good,” he murmured before visibly shivering again. His arms, tightly crossed in front of his chest, seemed crampy.  
“You look like you touched Ded Moroz’ scepter,” Kai said mockingly.  
“Well, f-fuck you. You look like you went into the sauna in a snowsuit.”  
“Says the one wearing one. You can’t win this, dear.”  
“No, I know.” Yuriy smiled faintly. Finally. “You’re still a strong blader, Kai. Even after today. And I still don’t regret having you on my team. Even though you never listen to me when I actually need you to.”  
Kai scoffed and looked away, but let his hand slide across the bench to touch Yuriy’s. The redhead’s fingers were freezing cold, but it felt soothing on his heated skin. Before he could pull his hand away again, Yuriy grabbed him, and although the cold shook him, his grip was firm. After a few seconds, Kai witnessed in amazement how the trembling subsided. His partner sighed briefly, probably not even noticing that he was doing it. Their eyes met.  
“This is nice,” he said.  
Yuriy nodded and looked at their hands thoughtfully. “Hey,” he said then, “Hug me.” As Kai was staring at him questioningly, he opened his jacket before addressing him again. “Come on, you’re warm, I’m cold, gimme a hug.”  
Finally, he understood. A bit hesitant, Kai came closer to Yuriy and, beneath the jacket, wrapped his arms around his leader. Immediately he felt the cold that Yuriy radiated through the thin fabric of his shirt and closed his eyes in relief. That felt so damn good.  
“Ugh, you’re sweaty,” Yuriy said but nevertheless put his arms around him as well.  
“It was your idea, so don’t complain.” He put his head on Yuriy’s shoulder, savouring the feeling of being close to him again. “Do you think Suzaku and Wolborg can neutralise each other’s powers?”  
“I don’t only think so, I know so.”  
Kai frowned, but before he could ask further questions, they were interrupted.  
“We leave you for five minutes and you immediately do something gay.” That was Boris’ voice. “Can’t you get a room for that?”  
“Shut up, you’re ruining it,” Kai mumbled. As Suzaku finally calmed down with the help of Wolborg, his strength diminished. Less and less of what was said reached him. He sank a little more towards Yuriy and felt the vibration of his voice as he spoke now, asking the other two about the situation outside. The conversation then continued, and Kai didn’t bother listening. But it seemed to him that the others also had a hard time keeping awake. Their words seemed very long and sluggish. The only thing that would help now was deep, dreamless sleep. For all of them. 

Kai tied his tie and tightened it around his neck. He was used to wearing suits, because whenever he entered the headquarters of Hiwatari Enterprises, he had to be dressed for the occasion. Voltaire wanted it that way. But after several weeks of wearing much looser clothes, his outfit now constricted him. He definitely looked more festive than usual. His shirt was white with black buttons, and he had chosen a jacket in light grey with black lapels. The tie was narrow and, like his trousers and shoes, dark. He wore no triangles on his face and had tamed his hair, but regretted not having found time to go to the hairdresser.  
He took a step back and looked in the mirror once more. The final match had left its traces on his face: His cheeks looked sunken in and his eyes were deep in their sockets. But all in all, he managed to make a quite passable sight. It wouldn't get any better now, anyway.  
There were two hours left before they all would gather at the BBA headquarters for some kind of afterparty. They had wondered for weeks why the BBA would tell the bladers that were not living here to pack clothes for an event like this. Still, he didn’t expect a black-tie event. They were teenagers, and the BBA wasn’t exactly wealthy.  
He would meet with his team so they would arrive there together. His stomach growled - most of all, he was looking forward to the food. Whether he could stay awake long enough to see what would happen after dinner was still entirely uncertain. One day had passed since the match against Takao, and although he had done almost nothing but sleep, he still felt drained.  
An hour later he got out of the car at the back entrance of the hotel and hurried inside before any reporters noticed him. He took the lift upstairs and, when he arrived outside Yuriy's room, took one more breath before knocking. His leader opened the door for him - "Hey Kai, you're early..." - and broke off in the middle of the sentence. For a moment they just looked at each other wordlessly. Yuriy wore a midnight blue suit and a black shirt, the dark colours accentuated his tall, narrow frame and made his hair glow.  
"Um...wow.” The words escaped Kai’s lips before he could hold them back.  
"Yeah...you too", Yuriy replied, then he stepped aside. Before Kai could pass him, he stretched out his arm and pulled him closer to kiss him briefly. "You smell different", he noticed and Kai just winked at him. Then he sat down on the sofa. "Are you ready yet?"  
Yuriy pointed at his hair. "Does this look done to you?"  
Kai didn’t dare to answer, because he actually thought that every strand of hair was already in place, but what did he know. Yuriy went into the bathroom, and from his position Kai could watch him struggling with his red mane.  
They had only chatted briefly since the previous evening. Half asleep, Kai had sent a text to Yuriy and even received a reply. Only this morning did he notice that both texts consisted almost entirely of typos. They had managed to arrange this meeting, nothing more. And so this was the first moment they could talk undisturbed again.  
He cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Huh?"  
"Boris told me something during our battle. It's stupid, but... it bothers me."  
"Well, what is it?" Yuriy didn't seem the least bit disturbed by Kai's words, tugging at his hair without even looking at him. Kai got up to lean on the frame of the bathroom door. "He claimed you were spreading a rather nasty rumour about me in the Abbey when I came back," he said, "Saying I was too weak and Black Suzaku would finish me off in no time.”  
"Oh. Yes, that's true."  
Kai blinked. He didn't expect Yuriy to admit everything so easily. His leader must have noticed his reaction because he finally turned to him. "Listen, Kai", he said, "I was a child, and I was fucking mad at you. You just walked into the Abbey, grabbed Black Dranzer and started taking over my battles. What did you think I would do - keep my head down and pretend it's none of my business?" He crossed his arms and looked down at Kai, who turned away. "I know why you did it,” he said. “I just didn't know how cunning you can be."  
"Hmm. Why do I get the feeling that there's more to it? What else did Boris say?"  
"Maybe that in this tournament I'm just a means to an end for you."  
Now Yuriy laughed, and Kai gave him an offended look, but it completely bounced off him. "Of course I took advantage of you!" he exclaimed, "And you took advantage of me, didn't you? I needed a strong blader in my team and you needed a good partner to compete against Kinomiya. That was the deal from the beginning. Nobody could have known that..." He broke off when he noticed the look on Kai's face. Then he tilted his head. "Oh Kai. Come on, don’t be so dramatic now." And he pulled him into a hug. "Looks like Boris found all the right buttons, didn't he?"  
Kai mumbled something meaningless and breathed in the faint smell of Yuriy’s aftershave. That alone made everything better. He felt quite stupid and regretted having brought up the subject in the first place. Especially when the answers did not necessarily turn out as he had hoped.  
"Whatever”, he finally said, “I just wanted to clear this up."  
"And is it cleared up now?"  
He pulled himself together. "Yes. But from now on, I trust you only as far as I can throw you." He paused. "But thinking about it... Even that is still too much."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"It means you're tall, but that's it. I could easily throw you."  
"Pah, try me."  
Instead of answering, Kai wrapped his arms tightly around Yuriy's waist and actually managed to lift him up a bit. His leader acknowledged this with a horrified sound and a little wriggle. "All right, all right! Put me down!" As soon as Kai had let him go, he tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his jacket, swearing under his breath. "Bozhe... You're like Sumeragi, tiny but jacked."  
"What?", Kai said indignantly, but he couldn't help smiling.  
At that moment there was another knock at the door. Yuriy cursed again. "Can you let them in? It’s probably the others." Then he hastily turned back to the mirror.  
It was indeed their teammates. Sergeij wore the classic black and white, while Boris had chosen a dark red suit with a white shirt that looked amazingly good on him. A grey handkerchief peeked out of his breast pocket. "Hiwatari! And I was so sure that you would show up two hours late!" He pushed himself past him and Sergeij closed the door. "Hey Yuriy, Sergeij got alcohol! They didn't even ask him for his ID, probably thought we were Russian mafia, heh." With these words he put a bag on the table. Yuriy came out of the bathroom and finally seemed satisfied with his appearance. "Very well. There are glasses on the cabinet over there."  
"But it's Shochu, no idea what it tastes like. The clerk said it's like vodka, but somehow I don't believe him."  
"It's just like vodka," Kai said. "Do you want to get drunk before the party?"  
"No, Hiwatari, we want to toast," Boris rebuked and handed him a glass, "To your match among other things, so relax."  
In fact, before they left for the BBA, they found at least four things to toast to. By the time Kai squeezed into the car with the others, he realised that he was already a bit tipsy. His mouth tasted like peppermint because Boris had been wise enough to hand them mints so that their breath didn’t smell like alcohol. He was a pro like that.  
Sergeij got the passenger seat and Kai had to sit between Yuriy and Boris in the back seat. Boris kept teasing him for a while, saying that he obviously couldn't handle his spirits; his ranting broke off just once when Yuriy put his hand on Kai's thigh. But he quickly recovered.  
As soon as they got out of the car, a murmur went through the ranks of the reporters, who were, of course, waiting for them outside the BBA headquarters. Flashes of light flickered over them and a very polite member of staff asked them to line up for a group photo. Kai sighed. The days in which he was not recognized without his face painting were probably over now. He silently cursed Daitenji for loving the public’s attention so much.  
Then they were led inside. The entrance hall still looked the same as it did before the finale, when they had been here the last time. The hall - usually a public training room - had been slightly refurbished, the decorated dinner table in the middle attracting all attention. The light was dimmed and a disco ball was already hovering above them, scattering small, shimmering dots.  
As expected, the food was good. The BBA had tried to keep the menu international, and apart from a few odd combinations, they succeeded. Daitenji gave a little speech in which he had a few words of praise for everyone, and expressed convincing sadness over the absence of Barthez Soldiers. After the official part had ended, they were asked to move to the tables that had been set up on the two long sides of the room so that the dining table could be removed. At the back of the room was a bar, improvised but with a long counter and matching stools. The light was turned down a little more and the first colourful spots wandered across the floor.  
Boris persuaded Yuriy and Sergeij to go outside for a secret smoking break. Kai used the moment to break away from them and go over to Max and Rei, who were sitting together at one of the smaller tables, one cup each in front of them. Hiromi also joined them now.  
"Hey Kai", Max greeted him, "Looking good!" He himself had long since opened the top two buttons of his shirt; Rei next to him looked stunning as always in his dark blazer and a shirt with mandarin collar. "And you are pretty too, Hiromi!" She had actually dressed up and was wearing light blue. "I can point this out to Takao later if he doesn't notice it himself..."  
"Max, how many times - I don't want to be set up," Hiromi said, but even in the twilight they could see her cheeks turning red.  
"Where is Mao?" Kai asked Rei, who just pointed over his shoulder. His girlfriend was standing there talking to Emily, and she looked enchanting with her hair pinned up and her elegant dress. Rei and Kai looked at each other and exchanged a small but knowing grin. This did not escape Hiromi, of course. "What’s with the macho attitude, guys? Did I miss something?"  
“Nothing, really,” Rei responded, but Hiromi would not have it.  
“Alright,” she said, “I’ll talk to Mao later. Let’s see what she has to say about that.”  
Max laughed and slapped Rei on the shoulder. "Love stories aside,” he said, and Kai could’ve sworn that he briefly looked at him at that moment, “You better tell us what happens now! Are we gonna have a Bladebreakers revival soon?"  
"Hmm", Rei said, "I think I will go back to China with Baihuzu first. I was planning to do that anyway. And then - let's see! What about you?"  
"Oh, I'm staying in Japan," Max replied, "Business as usual. I think mom would like to keep me on the team, but there are no more tournaments coming up at the moment. That's why I'm actually open to anything."  
Rei nodded, then silence spread. When Kai felt their eyes on him, he realised that it was his turn now.  
"What is your plan, Kai?" Hiromi finally asked.  
He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I'll stay here too," he said, "at least for the rest of the summer. My team as well, by the way."  
"Wait. So Boris, Sergei, and Yuriy aren’t going back to Russia?"  
"Daitenji has a job for them," Kai explained, "With the BBA."  
There was a short pause. "Oho," Max said, then his eyes widened, "Ohooo! Now that's news!" His tone of voice left no doubt what he was thinking. And suddenly Kai realised that Rei must have talked to him about what had happened the night before the finale. He looked at his former teammates angrily, and their reactions were answer enough: Max beamed and Rei tried to appear innocent, but he didn't succeed at all.  
"There will be consequences," Kai said to them, but Max groaned exaggeratedly. "Come on, Kai, I would have known anyway!"  
"Guys, what the hell are you talking about?" Hiromi asked, "I think things have really been going past me lately. Hey! What have you all been up to?"  
"Later, Hiromi," Rei said and patted her hand.  
"I'll tell you when Kai is gone," Max added, whereupon Kai shot him a threatening look. "Watch out guys, he's giving the evil eye!" All three ducked under the table, even Hiromi joined in. It was one of the many running gags Kai hadn't missed. He rolled his eyes and waited until the others reappeared again, giggling.  
Very pleased with himself Max grabbed his cup and drank half of it. "You do realise that we will have a very sentimental Bladebreakers reunion on the dancefloor later, don't you?" he then asked the group.  
"Oh come on, guys..."  
"No objections, Kai! I've already told the DJ to play our song," Max interrupted him. There was actually a song that the Bladebreakers jokingly referred to as "their" song. Kai hated it, they probably all hated it, but whenever they were on a road trip together, someone (mostly Max) ended up putting it on eventually, and the others immediately swore to kill him, albeit feeling a little nostalgic every damn time.  
“Well Maxie, I’m sure everyone will be very entertained by your disco moves,” Kai said.  
“At least I actually am entertaining, Mr. I-have-to-pee-I-will-vanish-for-three-hours-as-soon-as-the-fun-starts-Hiwatari,” Max shot back unfazed, “Man, by now I would literally pay to see you dance, like... “ His words were lost as his gaze passed over Kai's shoulder. Then he raised his hand. "Heeey, Takao! Come over here!"  
Kai turned around, just in time to see the grin on Takao's face before it vanished completely as their eyes met. The world champion paused, seemed to think for a moment and then turned around to hurry away. Kai turned back to the others, almost tempted to apologise, because he obviously had managed to spoil Takao's evening, this time without any intention whatsoever. But his former teammates wore a sad and knowing expression on their faces. He sighed.  
"Well, go," Rei said softly.  
Max nodded affirmatively. "Yes. You two need to talk. Come on!" He moved his head in the direction where Takao had disappeared.  
Kai hummed, but rose from his chair and started looking for the world champion. He spotted him at a bar table a little further away, staring thoughtfully into space. "Okay...", he sighed before he started to make his way through the room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yuriy and the others come back in. His leader waved at him briefly, but he made a defensive gesture and the other only raised his shoulders. Then Kai was with Takao, busy trying to figure out how the hell to start the conversation.  
He put his hands in his pockets and said: "Hi.”  
"Hi, Kai."  
The first pause came. Kai glanced at Takao, who, despite the festive occasion, was still wearing jeans, but a shirt and jacket. "Well", he then started again. "You did it. Again."  
"Ha! A champion keeps his word!" The tone of voice was not convincing, and even Takao noticed this, because he coughed embarrassed. "No. Seriously, Kai, you... You were great." He looked at him briefly. "Thanks for the match."  
"Hn." Kai crossed his arms. "I guess I have to thank you too. And you're welcome." There was so much more they could have talked about. But somehow they understood each other best when they fought in the arena. With words, it was much more difficult for them. Kai was glad that Takao no longer blamed him for leaving the BBA Revolution. That meant one less apology for him. After all, if he had stayed, their final match would never have happened.  
"Listen, Kai," Takao said, so quietly that he almost didn't notice, "I've had a lot of slack in this tournament. It wasn't just because you all left the team. Of course it was also a reason. It was… pretty fucked up."  
Kai growled again. He had nothing to add to that.  
"I often felt very left alone," Takao continued, "even though Kyoujyu, Hiromi, and my brother were there. And Daichi! But it is not the same as with you guys. Anyway, it got pretty bad at times. All I’m saying is... From the moment I knew you were sure to be in the final, I knew again why I was here. Kai, I just wanted this battle so much! Not just for revenge or to show how strong I am - I just wanted to fight _with you_. Just like we always do." He brought a little smile. "Sorry, I don't know how else to say it..."  
"I know what you mean," Kai interrupted him.  
He knew exactly what he meant.  
Again they were silent for a while, looking at each other indecisively. Kai didn’t know whether he should ask Takao about the strange dream dimension they both entered during their battle. Maybe the whole thing had only happened in his head?  
Eventually, he spoke up. "What actually happened? I mean, during the battle. Did you also..."  
"See stars?", Takao asked and scratched his head embarrassed. "I thought I had imagined it. So it was… real? Were we really there?"  
"Maybe it had something to do with the Bit Beasts," Kai said, "But for everyone else, the battle just seems to have gone on. Only for a very short time you couldn't see anything because of the bright light - or that’s what Rei and Max said."  
"Yes, Hiromi and the others too," said Takao. "Seems like this is our little secret." He grinned at him crookedly, and for a moment the Takao Kai knew became visible. The corners of his mouth lifted. "Yes, it seems so." No one would believe them anyway when they told what had happened. The others would blame it on their overworked bodies and high stress levels. But one thing Kai knew for sure: there, among the stars with Takao, he had been as calm as never before in his life. Ever since then he had been wondering how strong the connection between Takao and his Bit Beast was. It seemed so easy for him to break the unity of Kai and Suzaku. Takao probably didn’t even realize how powerful he really was. His intuition must have made it possible for Seiryu to connect with him incredibly quickly over the years. And so the dragon’s infinite power was at his disposal. What Kai had to go through long, torturous training sessions for, Takao did instinctively. Unbelievable.  
"By the way, I recognized your attack," Takao said at that moment, as if he had guessed Kai's thoughts, "Believe me, I won't forget a sight like that. After all, this was my first final match in a world championship at that time. Did Yuriy help you?"  
"I asked him, yes," Kai replied, and for a brief moment there was astonishment on Takao's face. Then he smiled again. "Wow. Not bad."  
In the end it had been of no use. As always, Takao had been victorious. But unlike the previous times, Kai's frustration was limited. He couldn't explain it to himself, but it seemed that in the end their fight hadn’t been about winning at all, even if he wasn't sure what it had been about instead. At some point he would surely know what it all meant.  
"I don't know what to say to them," Takao suddenly said and looked towards Rei and Max, "They deserved to be in the final just as much. But I'm really glad it was you."  
"I think they know that," Kai replied, "And they accept it. You should talk to them."  
"I've been acting so stupid around them. Shit."  
He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Takao probably didn't expect a response either. "But you're right, I should get it over with." Slowly but surely the gloomy thoughtfulness vanished from the other’s face, and Takao became completely himself again. He took a deep breath and looked around. "Where is Daichi? He had quite a lot of dessert, I hope he didn't overdo it...oh, there he is. With Yuriy."  
When he said that, Kai raised his head. In fact, the two redheads were sitting next to each other on bar stools, which, with their immense difference in size, gave a rather strange picture. Daichi gestured wildly and Yuriy watched him with mockingly raised eyebrows. But even from a distance it was clear that they appreciated each other. For a while Kai and Takao were lost in the sight of their tag team partners. Then Takao scoffed. "That Daichi! Let me take care of him before he accidentally knocks out your team captain." He shouted the name of the younger one and Kai just managed to prevent himself from flinching. A few other heads turned to them too, the champion's behaviour provoked some laughter. Takao hurried away, pulled Daichi from his stool, and they stormed off to where Max, Rei, and Hiromi were still sitting.  
Kai's gaze wandered to Yuriy instead, who, still quite perplexed by the sudden end of his conversation, looked back at him. Then Kai went over to take Daichi's place. "Wanna buy me a drink?"  
Yuriy laughed. "I'd love to. Thing is, the drinks are free, and without alcohol." He leaned over to whisper into Kai's ear. "Boris has a flask, though." The feeling of his breath on his neck gave Kai a pleasant shiver. He called for the bartender (an unfortunate BBA intern he guessed) and ordered water. Yuriy followed his every move, smiling inscrutably. They were silent, Kai played with his glass that stood between them. Behind them, more and more bladers gathered on the dance floor. The colourful lights were now brighter and had started to blink. While Yuriy's face was lit by the spotlights above the bar, his shoulder was dipped in changing colours. Finally, the redhead stretched out his arm, stole one of the ice cubes from Kai's glass and put it in his mouth. Then he turned around so that he could watch what was happening on the dance floor. He supported his elbows on the counter. As he was watching him, Kai had the feeling that he could never get enough of this sight.  
Only very slowly did he manage to take note of what was happening around them. The party was in full swing. The music was from the past decades, maybe the DJ wanted to do the older people in the room a favour; the teenagers, however, didn't let themselves be put off by it and jumped up and down more or less gracefully to the old-fashioned rhythms. When Kai also turned around, the first thing he saw was Boris and Sergeij on the dance floor. They caused some stares by everyone around them, but of course they didn't embarrass themselves. Dancing was in their blood. And suddenly Julia appeared to grab Sergeij's hand and pull him towards the centre of the room, right underneath the disco ball. Boris raised his arms questioningly and looked after them, then for better or worse he went on alone. A bit to the left, Rei and Mao snuggled up and didn't seem to realise that the music wasn't really suitable for a romantic couple dance. Miss Judy and Max's father, on the other hand, seemed to have been transported back to their youth. They received spontaneous applause from the American team for their dance. All in all there was quite a commotion.  
“I’m cringing so hard right now,” Kai declared, and Yuriy just chuckled.  
“You should appreciate the fact that Boris and Sergeij are saving our team’s honour,” he said.  
Kai shot him a suggestive glare. “Do you dance?”  
“Only on very special occasions. Which would be the case today, if you show me your moves.”  
“Oh, don’t worry, the only reason for me to dance is my grandfather threatening to cut me out of his will if I don’t.”  
“Sounds like this has happened before.”  
“Several times.”  
“I see.” Yuriy smirked and reached for Kai’s drink again, but he snatched it away before his leader could grab it. “Get your own.”  
“Don’t be mean.” The redhead bent forward to speak in his ear again. “You know we could also join the others and just sway back and forth for a bit, and you could try to touch my butt when nobody's looking. Thrilling, isn’t it?”  
It was, indeed. It would be even more thrilling if they could slip out of the room secretly and make out in a dark corner somewhere in the upper levels of the building. Kai still had his key card after all.  
The thought remained. At that moment, Boris appeared in front of them, wrapped his arms around their shoulders and thus pulled them from their seats. Kai wondered if he had emptied the flask on his own. He definitely wasn’t sober.  
"Tovarishchi! There you are," he shouted, then he leaned over and pulled them closer. "Yuiry. Do you have weed?"  
"Why, Boris!" their leader exclaimed, acting outraged, "This is medicine!"  
"Come on, just a little! I'll trade you for Shochu!" He glanced at them conspiratorially. "I hid the second bottle outside."  
"We could get mixers from the bar," Kai said, whereupon Boris slapped him hard on the shoulder. "I like the way you think, Hiwatari!"  
"Should we tell Sergeij?" Yuriy asked and looked over his shoulder to the dance floor.  
"I think he's busy, Yura, let him have some fun."  
"Alright, alright ..."  
Ten minutes later they were sitting in the dark on the fire escape leading to the backyard, drinking shochu with lemonade and sharing a cigarette. Yuriy had left the weed at the hotel. But Boris seemed to have forgotten that he had even asked for it.  
Kai took off his tie and opened the top buttons of his shirt. Time to loosen up a little. The skin on his neck was already a little damp, and the cool air out here brought some relief. Yuriy passed the cigarette on to him, and as he took a pull, he felt the other's hand move to the back of his head. Long fingers stroked his hair and then started massaging his neck. Kai leaned into the touch and stretched out his arm to hand Boris the cigarette.  
Their teammate blew out a long stream of smoke and looked at them. "So are you making this official anytime soon?" he then asked. "I mean, it’s becoming quite obvious. I heard some of the others joking that you’re like attached at the hip or something."  
Yuri's hand wandered deeper, came to rest on Kai’s lower back. "Hm, I don't know...", Kai said and gave the redhead a look. If he had been pleasantly tipsy before, he suddenly felt sober again. He remembered their conversation in Sydney, and suddenly he realised that their problems had not simply disappeared just because Neo Borg stayed in Japan a few weeks longer. They were merely postponed. On the other hand, he kind of wanted to make it official, if only to stop the rumour mill before it even started. But also because in his most sentimental moments he wanted the whole world to see that Yuriy Ivanov was his boyfriend.  
"I must have hit a nerve," Boris noted. "I just thought that if we stay here for a bit longer now, there is no guarantee you can keep it a secret. Your little BBA friends seem to know everything anyway, Kai. The only problem is, what do we do when we go back?" He looked at Yuriy. "You know what I think, Yura."  
"And what's that?" Kai asked, even though he already suspected the kind of answer he would get.  
"We should not make it public,” Yuriy replied instead. “At all, I mean.”  
"How do you imagine that? Sooner or later there will be rumours."  
"Yes. But maybe it's better if they're just rumors. I don't think we can simply show ourselves as a couple. Not in Russia, that’s for sure."  
Kai just nodded and exchanged a long look with Yuriy. Japan was not paradise on earth in this respect either. Moreover, he didn't want to imagine what his grandfather would say. That was a really sobering thought now.  
"I don't like it either," Yuriy continued, "But Boris is right. The tournament alone will get us so much attention when we get back - we are already getting requests for interviews.”  
"They will definitely put us in the spotlight for a couple of weeks," Boris added, "And I guess it will take some time until the Russian press will leave us alone.”  
"I understand. But what do we do with the people in there?" Kai pointed to the door leading back into the building, "I mean, everyone who'll still be here after tomorrow knows anyway." Nothing stayed secret within their circle. Kai was sure that Max and Rei had told Hiromi by now. But he trusted all three of them to not spread it further.  
"Honestly, Kai," Boris said, "Do you want one Rick Anderson to know about you? Or someone who likes to talk to the press as much as the Fernandez twins? Or someone you hardly know, Kiki for example?" He definitely had a point there. Kai reached for his cup, which was still half-filled, and emptied it in one go. He was some sort of celebrity here, and Yuriy and the others had a life in Severodvinsk, and it would be naive to think that there would be no consequences if their relationship went through the media there. But here and now, on the rickety stairs, they could not solve the problem.  
Boris seemed to have realised this too, as he started to generously fill up their cups again. "I'm sorry if I spoiled the mood for you," he said apologetically, while pouring lemonade on the shochu. "I still have to get it straight - heh, _straight_.” He chuckled. “But seriously. It's kinda crazy. I mean" He raised his cup and drank without toasting first. That was a sure sign that the alcohol had already got a hold of him. "Yuriy! You are my best friend, I love you with all my heart and I just want you to be happy. Yada yada. So tell me" He took a dramatic pause. "What do you see in Hiwatari?"  
Kai also drank, to cover his embarrassment. He noticed how Yuriy was looking at him, but focused on his drink.  
"Boris," Yuriy finally said, "Have you looked at him?"  
"Hm-hm. He’s spilling his drink."  
"I am not!" Kai said, but had to wipe a few drops from his chin.  
"Yeah, alright. Hiwatari” Boris pointed his finger at him. "What do you see in Yuriy?  
When Kai now turned to Yuriy, the redhead returned his gaze without hesitation. At that moment he could have listed quite a few things. "Have you looked at him?" he replied instead, while they kept looking at each other. Yuri's mouth curled up into a smile.  
"All I see here are two drunk idiots crushing on each other," said Boris, "And I never expected to get into a situation like this.”  
"Kai, do you want to make out? I think _that_ is something Boris has never seen before, either..."  
"Yura, please! I said, I have to get used to it _slowly_! Can't you start with holding hands or something?"  
But they had stopped paying attention to his nagging. "It won't kill him", Kai said, before Yuriy leaned in and they started kissing.  
"Oh my God! Guys!", Boris exclaimed, "Okay...this...this looks less disgusting than I thought, but it's super weird and… Things I never wanted to see… Can you please stop? Hey!" He splashed a few drops from his drink on them, and that actually made them stop. Kai started complaining loudly, but then the door behind them opened with a squeaky sound.  
"Kai!" It was Max. "Stop doing illegal stuff and come back! They are playing our song!" In fact, the familiar melody could already be heard in the background.  
Kai didn’t even notice what he was doing when he jumped up. Oh dear, he was tipsy. Whatever would happen now, it was going to be embarrassing. "Fuck - Wait, Max, I'm coming!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bozhe - (my) God  
> Tovarishschi - Comrades  
> Snegurochka - "Snowflake", helpling of Ded Moroz


End file.
